
Class L^ 

Book /_, 

Copyright N^ 

COPYRIGHT DEPOSn^ 



\ 



A HISTORY OF 
LOUISIANA 



BY 
HARRIET MAGRUDER 



BOSTON, U.S.A. 

D. C. HEATH & CO., PUBLISHERS 

1909 






Copyright, 1909, 
By D. C. Heath & Co. 



AUG 26 1909 

L ..i..— — 



PREFACE 

In writing this book my aim has been to give to 
Louisiana children the history of their State in a 
clear, simple, and interesting manner. Historic 
material has been collected from many sources, but 
only that has been used which comes within the 
comprehension of the child. An attempt has been 
made to foster State pride by dwelling on the suf- 
ferings and conflicts of the State, and of her final 
triumph through the courage, endurance, and love 
of freedom inherent in her citizens. An effort has 
also been made to put stress upon the importance 
of the struggle between the Latin and Anglo-Saxon 
races for our country, and the results leading to 
\ English domination and self-government. 

The teacher is urged to make frequent use of the 
maps. It is suggested that for the first lesson in 
Louisiana history a review be given on the maps 
of North America and the United States, the 
teacher showing the relation of Louisiana to the 
other parts of the country. Outline maps will also 
be found useful, as children will be interested in 
marking the discoveries and settlements as they 
progress. 



IV 



PREFACE 



Thanks arc due many friends for their interest 

in the work during its preparation. I am especially 

indebted to Mr. Waddy Thompson, of Atlanta, 

Georgia, who wrote the introductory chapter, and 

who read and criticised the manuscript ; to Dr. 

A, B. Coffey, of the Louisiana State University, who 

read portions of the manuscript ; to Colonel T. D. 

Boyd, President of the State University, for l-.is 

courtesy in placing maps at my disposal ; and to 

Mr. T. H. Harris, Superintendent of Education, at 

whose instance, when teaching in his school several 

years ago, I was encouraged to write a history of 

Louisiana for children. My warmest thanks are 

due Dr. Walter L. Fleming, of the State University, 

for his untiring aid and helpful suggestions ; while 

more than the usual indebtedness is due from me 

to my publishers. 

HARRIET MAGRUDER. 
Baton Rouge, La., 
January, 1909. 



CONTENTS 



Introductory 

I. Hernando de Soto 

II. Marquette, Joliet, and La Salle . 

III. La Salle attempts to plant a Colony in Louisiana 

IV. The End of La Salle's Colony 
V. Iberville 

VI. Iberville explores the Mississippi 

VII. Iberville and Bienville .... 

VIII. Bienville visits the Red River Country 

IX. Bienville at the Head of the Government 

X. Antoine Crozat 

XI. St. Denis 

XII. John Law 

XIII. The Founding of New Orleans 

XIV. The Mississippi Bubble — New Orleans, the 

tal 

XV. The Ursuline Nuns — The Casket Girls 

XVI. The Natchez Massacre .... 

XVII. Defeat of the Natchez .... 

XVIII. Bienville, the First Royal Governor . 

XIX. Marquis de Vaudreuil .... 

XX. The French and Indian War . 

XXI. Louisiana ceded to Spain 

XXII. The Acadians 

XXIII. Don Antonio de Ulloa .... 

XXIV. "The Revolution of 1768" . 

V 



Capi 



CONTENTS 



CHAPTER 

XXV. Don Alexander O'Reilly . 

XXV' I. Execution of the Revolutionists 

XXVII. The Cabildo .... 

XXVIII. The American Revolution 

XXIX. The Capture of Florida . 

XXX. The Navigation of the Mississippi 

XXXI. Baron de Carondelet 

XXXII. The New Treaty with Spain . 

XXXIII. The Last Years of Spanish Rule 

XXXIV. Louisiana ceded to the United States 
XXXV. The Formal Transfer of Louisiana 

XXXVI. Territory of Orleans 

XXXVII. The Land and the People in 1803 

XXXVIII. William C. C. Claiborne . 

XXXIX. The Floridas .... 

XL. Aaron Burr 

XLI. The Florida Parishes 

XLII. Admission of Louisiana as a State 

XLIII. The Baratarian Pirates . 

XLIV. General Andrew Jackson comes 

Orleans 

XLV. The Battle of New Orleans . 

XLVI. The Middle Period . 

XLVII. Zachary Taylor .... 

XLVIII. Audubon 

XLIX. The Causes of the Civil War . 

L. The Early Years of the War . 

LI. The War after the Capture of New Orleans 

LI I. Louisiana in 1864 

LIII. Life in Louisiana during the War 

LIV. After the War .... 

LV. The Ku Klux Klan . 



TO 



New 



PAGE 
148 

i6o 
166 
172 
179 
187 

193 
198 
205 
212 
218 
224 
229 
234 
239 
244 

249 

256 
262 
271 
277 
285 
291 
298 

304 
310 

315 
321 
326 



CONTENTS 



vu 



PAGE 
CHAPTER 

LVI. The Revolution of 1874 . , . • • 333 
LVII. Development of the State . . • -337 
LVIII. Louisiana Customs and Superstitions . • 344 
LIX. Louisiana Customs and Superstitions {con- 

thmed} ....•••• 35° 
LX. Conclusion . . • 357 

Appendix 3 

Index ^5 




I'iiK Capitoi. at Baton Rou(;k 



INTRODUCTORY 

Consult Maps of North America and the United States. 

When Columbus discovered America (1492), he 
was serving the king and queen of Spain. For this 
reason Spain claimed all of America. It was not 
long before the Spaniards began to make settle- 
ments in the New World. They settled in the 
West Indies, in South America, Central America, 
and North America. Their settlements within the 
present limits of the United States were in what 
is now known as Florida, in the southeast, and what 
is now known as New Mexico, Arizona, and Cali- 
fornia, in the southwest. 

Between these extreme points on the North 
American continent the Spaniards had not been 
able to make a settlement. The story of how the 
march of the Spaniards through Louisiana, under 
De Soto, ended in disaster is told in Chapter I. 

The two nations of Europe that were in those 
days the rivals of Spain — the English and the 
French — did not acknowledge the claim of Spain 
to all of America; yet they were slow in making 
settlements in America to oppose the Spanish claim. 

The first permanent English settlement in North 
America was made at Jamestown, in Virginia, in 



X INTRODUCTORY 

1607, and in the following year the French founded 
Quebec, in Canada. From these settlements the 
English and French colonies grew steadily, though 
the English colonies grew the faster. 

The English colonies spread up and down the 
Atlantic coast, from the French territory in Canada 
to the Spanish territory in Florida. On the other 
hand, the French settlements extended westward 
from the Atlantic coast of Canada to the region 
of the Great Lakes. 

By this time Spain's power as a great nation had 
almost passed away. England and France had 
become the great nations of the world and, natu- 
rally, there was intense jealousy between them. 
Wars to decide which people should be master of 
the world became frequent between the English 
and the French. Each side realized that the nation 
that should finally control the North American con- 
tinent would win in the struggle. The great region 
of North America known as the Mississippi Valley 
was then unoccupied by white people. Both the 
Enoflish and the French knew that whoever held 
the Mississippi Valley would control the continent. 

The history of the present State of Louisiana 
begins in 1673, when Marquette and Joliet started 
from Canada to explore and claim for France the 
great valley drained by the Mississippi River. A 
full account of the journey of these brave explorers 
is given in Chapter IL 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 
CHAPTER I 

HERNANDO DE SOTO 

All the boys and girls of Louisiana love their 
native State. When they learn of her early history, 
of her heroic struggles for liberty, and of her noble 
men and women, they will love her still more. 

It is an interesting story. Louisiana has not 
always been as we know her : a rich and prosperous 
State, with large cities and towns and railroads and 
steamboats, and big plantations of rice, sugar cane, 
and cotton. About two hundred years ago the 
whole country was only a great forest, where panthers, 
bears, wild cats, and buffaloes roamed about, and 
the dreary swamps and bayous were the homes of 
alligators and snakes. The only people here then 
were Indians with their bows, arrows, and toma- 
hawks ; and the only houses were little huts, called 
wigwams, which were scattered through the forest. 

It was in the year 1492 that Columbus bravely 
sailed from Spain across the unknown ocean and 
discovered the islands of the West Indies and 
later the mainland of Central and South America. 



2 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

His followers made small settlements on Cuba and 
other islands. These Spaniards heard from the In- 
dians wonderful stories of a beautiful land that lay 
not far distant across the blue waters, meaning what 
is now the southern part of the United States. 
They gave glowing accounts of the gold and silver 
and precious jewels that could be found in this 
country. 

The Spaniards set out eagerly to find these riches. 
They visited Florida, the nearest point to Cuba, and 
it is thought that some coasted along the shore as 
far west as what is now Louisiana and sailed a short 
distance up the Mississippi River. They found no 
riches. Many died of hunger and cold, or were killed 
by the Indians. Those who did not die wandered 
forlornly through the country, and at last reached 
home half starved and nearly naked. Yet these 
men, who had found no gold or silver, and had seen 
only swamps and forests and Indians, told of the 
gold that was to be found in Florida. They said it 
was the richest land in the world. 

Hernando de Soto, a young Spanish nobleman 
living in Cuba, heard these stories and believed 
them. He had helped to conquer Peru in South 
America, and his share of the gold taken from the 
Indians there had amounted to a great fortune. He 
wanted still more riches, and he was ambitious to 
become a great conqueror and to govern the coun- 
tries he should overcome. 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 




Hernando De Soto 



De Soto soon went to Spain to get permission 
from the king to conquer Florida. He laid his 
plans before the king and 
offered to bear all the ex- 
pense. The king gave 
consent and appointed him 
governor for life over all 
the country he might con- 
quer, and granted him an 
immense estate in his own 
right. 

When it became known 
that De Soto, noted for his 
bravery and his wealth, 
and as one of the con- 
querors of Peru, was to undertake the conquest of 
Florida, he was the man in all Spain most to be 
envied. Young nobles from all over Spain and 
Portugal came to his casde and asked to go with 
him, offering to bear part of the expense. Some 
even went so far as to sell their homes to get 
the money. So De Soto was troubled, not to get 
enough men for the expedition, but to choose from 
the many who wished to go. He selected about a 
thousand, and among them vvere soldiers who had 
fought in many hard battles, and the pick and 
flower of Spanish cavaliers. 

The expedition was fourteen months getting 
ready. Everything was put upon the ships which 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 




rich, luxury-loving people thought needful. There 
were beautiful clothes of velvet and satin, embroid- 
ered in gold and silver and pearls, chairs of exquisite 
workmanship, soft beds, and silken 
and velvet quilts, costly dishes, and 
all kinds of good things to eat. 

As the fleet of ten vessels sailed 
away from Spain, flags on shore 
were waved, bands played, and the 
people shouted, wishing Godspeed 
to the most brilliant expedition 
that had ever left any shore. When 
the Spanish vessels neared Florida 
in the year 1539, they saw along 
the coast alarm fires which the 
Indians had built. But when they 
entered what is now Tampa Bay, lot an Indian was 
in sight. The Indians were there, though, gliding 
from tree to tree with a stealthy tread and peeping 
out with angry eyes. They watched the proud 
Spaniards as they came from the ships armed with 
swords and crossbows and clad in armor of glitter- 
ing steel, leading their war horses covered with 
shining metal, no less proud than their masters, as 
they arched their necks and tossed their beautiful 
heads. 

Though the Indians did not know these men, 
others of the same race had been in their country 
and had treated them so cruelly that they resolved 



Spanish Knight of 
16TH Century 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 



that these strangers of such fearful beauty must be 
foucrht to the death. 








f 



Spaniards landing on the 
Gulf Coast 

The scenery is from nature. 



The Spaniards, all unconscious of a hidden foe, 
raised the Spanish flag, and took possession of the 
country in the name of their king. It was in May 



6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

that they landed, and it seemed as if all the flowers 
of all the earth were crowded together into this one 
spot, and had burst into bloom to welcome them. 
Tired after the long sea voyage, they threw them- 
selves on the tender green, and drinking in long 
draughts of the perfumed air, laughed and sang and 
shouted in the very joy of life and youth and hope. 




Indian Bow and Arrows 



They talked late into the night, and their talk was 
of gold ; and as they slept under the southern stars 
they dreamed of gold and glistening jewels. 

The next morning, just when the stars were grow- 
ing pale, they were awakened by the blood-curdling 
war cry of the Indians, w^io made a fierce attack 
upon the Spaniards. Not understanding the In- 
dian way of fighting, they ran to their boats. Many 
of the Spaniards were killed. When the Indians 
went away, De Soto again took his men on shore, 
and after marching about six miles, camped near 
an Indian village. The Indians were afraid to 
attack them openly, but every Spaniard straying 
from the post was instantly killed. De Soto sent 
presents to the chief, and tried to gain his friend- 
ship, but he was not to be won over. Ten years 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 7 

before, Spaniards had taken his mother and be- 
fore his eyes had caused her to be torn limb from 
limb by bloodhounds. He now sent back the 
presents with the scornful reply: "I want none 
of their presents; bring me their heads." 

This was the beginning of De Soto's troubles, 
and it foretells the whole story. The Span- 
iards spent three years going through the pres- 
ent States of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi. 
They found no rich cities, nor gold, nor silver. 
They found only miserable huts and half-clad 
savages as they cut their way through the path- 
less forests. Step by step the right of way 
was contested, and the tale is only one of cruelty 
and bloodshed as the Indians and the Spaniards 
struggled for mastery. 

At last, worn out, sick, and hopeless, the few of 
the brilliant company who were left, stood on the 
bank of the Mississippi River. As De Soto gazed 
upon the waters of the great river, his thoughts 
must have wandered back to that morning when 
his fleet pushed out from the shores of Spain ; 
to the fortunes wasted ; to the hopes wrecked ; to 
the nameless graves stretching from Florida to the 
Mississippi. He would have a name in history, 
but was it worth the price ? 

Still determined to find gold, he crossed the river 
and marched on through what is now Louisiana 
and Arkansas; yet he found no gold. Disappointed 



8 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

at his failure, he returned to the Mississippi. Here 
he brooded so much over his tragic fate that he 
soon fell sick with a fever. The once darins: leader 
lay without a shelter over his head, surrounded by 
a few half-starved though loyal men. He asked 
his men to forgive him for all the trouble he had 
caused them, and named a leader to whom he told 
them to be true, as he would lead them home. 

Finally the soul of the great explorer went out. 
In the darkness of the night three or four stern- 
looking men rowed into the middle of the river 
and gave the body of their chief into its keeping. 
All was over now, and their only thought was to 
get home. After many trials they reached the 
Spanish settlement in Mexico. 

Questions. — i. Who lived in Louisiana before the white 
men came ? 

2. Describe the country as it was then. 

3. Who were the first Europeans to visit Louisiana ? 

4. Tell the story of their expedition. 

5. What was their object in exploring this country? 

6. Describe De Soto's discovery of the Mississippi and the last 
months of his life. 



CHAPTER II 

MARQUETTE, JOLIET, AND LA SALLE 

After the death of De Soto one hundred and 
thirty-one years passed before white men came 
again to the valley of the Mississippi. The Indians 
thought that they would be troubled no more by 
visits from the palefaces (as they called the white 
men). Old squaws would sit by the wigwam fires 
at night and tell the little boys and girls of a time 
long ago, when palefaces came to take their land 
from them, and how the strange chief and his fol- 
lowers went floating down the great river and had 
never been heard of since ; and now the deep woods 
were their own for all time to come. 

But the old squaws did not know that French- 
men who had settled in Canada far to the north 
were then listening eagerly to the tales Indians 
were telling of a mighty river that flowed west of 
the Great Lakes. The Canadian governor. Count 
Frontenac, thought that this river flowed westward 
to the Pacific Ocean, and that through it the French 
might open trade with India. He therefore in 1673 
sent two men. Father Marquette and Louis Joliet, 
to find whether these Indian stories were true, and 
if possible to trace the great river to its mouth. 



MARQUETTE, JOLIET, AND LA SALLE 



Governor Frontenac could not have chosen two 
better men for the work. Father Marquette, as his 
name tells you, was a priest. 
He was noble-hearted and fear- 
less. He had spent many years 
among the Indians, teaching 
them the Christian religion. 
He had learned how to get 
along with them and could 
speak six Indian languages. 
The Indians would therefore be 
glad to help him find the great 
river. Joliet was a shrewd busi- 
ness man, and the governor left 
it with him to decide whether it 
would pay to establish trade be- 
tween Canada and the Indians 
of that part of the country. 

The explorers took two canoes 
and some smoked meat and 
corn, and with five men started 
on their voyage. The Indians 
gave them directions how to get to the Mississippi, 
and made a kind of map to guide them. They got 
along very well, sometimes tramping througli the 
woods carrying the canoes on their backs, and 
sometimes paddling their canoes across a lake or 
down a river. Finally they reached the village of 
the Wild- Rice Indians. When they told these 




Father Marquette 

From the statue by G. Trente- 
nove, in the Capitol at Wash- 
ington. 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



Indians where they were going, they were advised 
to turn back, for there, tlie Indians said, sure death 
awaited them. These Indians told them that on 
the banks of the Mississippi there were ferocious 
tribes that killed every stranger who came among 

them, without giving 
him a chance to say 
why he came. 

The Indians also 
said that in a certain 
part of the river was 
a terrible demon w4io 
roared so loudly that 
the ground trembled, 
and when travelers got 
near him, he sent up a 
whirl of water which 
drew them into the 
abyss below; that in 
other parts of the river were most hideous monsters 
who opened their wide jaws and took in canoes and 
men and chewed them up as if they were only a 
little taste. 

People were very superstitious in those days and 
believed all sorts of foolish stories, and it is not un- 
likely that Joliet and Father Marquette believed 
these; but they went on. The good priest knew 
that many of his brother missionaries had been 
burned at the stake and horribly tortured in other 




Louis Joliet 

After the bronze relief tablet by E. Kemys in the 
Marquette Building, Chicago. 



MARQUETTE, JOLIET, AND LA SALLE 13 

ways, and that one of them had been roasted alive 
and eaten in the presence of his comrades. Yet 
he believed that, if souls were to be saved, no man 
should shrink from his duty. _ 

So on they went, and in one of the Indian vil- 
lages on a beautiful prairie stretching toward a grove 
of^'oaks they saw a cross erected, which the Indians 
called the Great Manitou of the French. It was 
the custom of the Indians to select some object and 
worship it as their god, calling it Manitou. Natu- 
rally, when they saw some Frenchmen who had pre- 
viously been in the neighborhood erecting a cross, 
they thought the cross was the Frenchmen's Manitou. 
The Indians had decorated the cross with deerskins, 
red girdles, bows, and arrows. You may be sure 
that the Frenchmen were glad to see this sign that 
the Indians were friendly. The old chief of the 
tribe gave Father Marquette a pipe decorated with 
bricrht feathers. The giving of the pipe was to show 
tha^t there w^as to be peace and friendship between 
the Indians and the white men, and not war. Such 
a pipe is called the calumet. The chief told the good 
father that if he came to any warlike tribes just to 
show the calumet, and he would not be harmed. A 
guide was also given them to the Wisconsin River. 
"^ After paddling down this river for ten days, the 
explorers saw a rapid stream dashing toward the 
south. It was the Mississippi River. Joyfully they 
guided their light canoes into this great body of 



14 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

water. They went as far south as the Arkansas 
River, and then, hearing that the Indians were very 
unfriendly below, decided to return. They had 
found out that the soil was rich, that many Indians 
lived on the banks of the newly discovered river, 
and that the river did not flow westward into the 
Pacific, but southward into the Gulf of Mexico. 




The Death of Maroueite 

After the bronze relief tablet designed by H. A. McNeill, in the Marquette Building, Chicago. 

The return trip upstream was very slow. Mar- 
quette, worn out by the hardships of the journey, 
died before the party reached Canada. When Joliet 
arrivedin Canada and told the news of the discov- 
ery, the people were wild with delight, and in the 
city of Quebec they went in a procession to the 
cathedral, where they sang the Tc Dcuiu. The 
excitement did not last long. Joliet went back to 
his business affairs ; the furor of the discovery died 
out ; and the Mississippi .seemed again forgotten. 

There was one man in Canada who had not for- 
gotten. This man was Robert Cavelier, Sieur de 
La Salle. He was born in France and had spent 



MARQUETTE, JOLIET, AND LA SALLE 15 

several years in that country in a convent of the 
Jesuits. 

From time to time there came to him in the quiet 
convent stories of the new world across the sea, and 




JOLiET's Map ok North America 

La Salle became greatly interested in all he heard 
concerning Canada. He listened excitedly to how 
cities were being built, how immense tracts of land 
could be had for almost nothing, how fortunes could 
be quickly made by trading with the Indians for 
furs ; and he felt that this new world, and not the 
convent, was the place for him. He therefore 
crossed the ocean to Canada and obtained a large 
tract of land near the city of Montreal, where he 



1 6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

built houses for settlers and carried on a flourishing: 
trade in furs. He spent two years in exploration. 
What he learned of the Mississippi awakened am- 
bitious dreams ; he was no longer content with 
wealth, but wanted to gain power and fame by mak- 
ing great discoveries. 

La Salle went to Governor Frontenac and laid 
his plans before him. He explained that while the 
Mississippi emptied into the Gulf, yet the rivers 
flowing into it from the west doubtless led to India; 
and that the exploration of these rivers might lead 
to an immense trade between the East and the 
French in America. Moreover, he saw that a chain 
of forts and trading posts encircling the Great Lakes 
and built all the way down the Mississippi to its 
mouth would secure the Mississippi Valley for 
France and would bring to its king and all who 
would join the enterprise such wealth as the world 
had never dreamed of. 

The governor became as enthusiastic as La 
Salle ; but this grand project would take a great 
deal of money, and as he had no right to give the 
government's money for such a purpose, he advised 
La Salle to go to France and submit his plans to 
the king. Governor Frontenac gave him letters of 
recommendation to influential men in Paris, who 
could bring him in touch with King Louis, among 
whom was Conti, a prince of the royal blood. 

It was through Prince de Conti that La Salle 



MARQUETTE, JOLIET, AND LA SALLE 17 

was able to lay what was called a memorial before 
Colbert, the king's minister. In this memorial he 
told in glowing language of the beauty of the Mis- 
sissippi Valley and the richness of the soil. He 
said, too, that aside from the fur trade, factories 
could be established, as the wild cattle had fine wool 
which would make good cloth and hats ; that cotton 
also grew there, and fish, game, and venison were so 
plentiful that a colony could be supported at little 
expense. He told the king that if France did not 
act quickly, England would seize the country. 
Then he stated that the difficulties of the under- 
taking were due to the immense territory to be 
traveled, the cost of men, provisions, and ammuni- 
tion, the danger from the Indians; then, most im- 
portant of all, that he had no money. 

In reply to his memorial, the king graciously gave 
him permission to continue his discoveries, but 
would give him no financial aid. La Salle had then 
to get the money as best he could. 

Questions. — i. What nation sent the next explorers to the 
Mississippi Valley? 

2. What was their purpose ? 

3. Tell about the two men who explored the upper Mississippi. 

4. Describe their equipment for the journey. 

5. Compare these Frenchmen's experiences with the Indians 
and the Spaniards' experiences. 

6. How did La Salle plan to open the trade between Canada 
and India ? 



CHAPTER III 

LA SALLE ATTEMPTS TO PLANT A COLONY IN LOUISIANA 

When La Salle got back to Canada, the first thing- 
he did was to raise all the money he could; and as 
his relatives and friends believed in him, they let 
him have all they could spare. He spent some time 
in building large vessels and stocking them with 
everything that would be needed. In 1679 the 
expedition started westward by way of the Great 
Lakes. La Salle built a fort wherever the Indians 
would let him. 

As he moved on his journey. La Salle collected a 
large supply of valuable furs. Before leaving the 
Great Lakes he sent the furs back to Canada on one 
of his vessels named the Griffin. The furs were to 
be exchanged for bright-colored blankets, clothes, 
beads, knives, axes, guns, ammunition, and other 
things that Indians like. By trading these things 
with the Indians he hoped to keep them friendly. 
He then went on to explore the Illinois River. 

Two years had passed, and up to this time all had 
gone well, but now misfortunes came thick and fast. 
Provisions had almost given out, and there were no 
goods left to trade with the Indians. La Salle waited 



LA SALLE ATTEMPTS TO PLANT A COLONY 19 



anxiously day after da)^ for news of the Griffin. The 
vessel never returned, and word came that she had 
been wrecked and all her cargo lost. About this 
time, also, came the news that his property in Canada 
had been seized for debt. 

But the greatest trouble La Salle had to meet was 
with his men. They had traveled many hundred 
miles, endured great hard- 
ships, and had made no 
money. They became dis- 
contented, had almost mu- 
tinied several times, and 
both feared and hated their 
leader. La Salle, though a 
man of remarkable energy 
and perseverance, did not 
know how to attach men to 
hini. He could command, 
but did not know how and 
when to give way ; and this 
is a good thing for even a leader to know. 

At last the men began to look upon La Salle as 
only an idle dreamer who was leading them a wild- 
goose chase; and on Christmas, the day when angels 
sang peace and good will to men, they tried to 
kill him by putting poison in his soup. No one 
could read La Salle's thouo^hts in his face,' and he 
did not talk of his disappointment. The only ex- 
\ pression he gave of his feelings was in a very 




RoBERr UK La Salle 



20 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

pathetic way. He built a new fort and named it 
Creve Coeur — Broken Heart. 

By this time conditions became desperate. The 
men were nearly starved. Though it was mid- 
winter, La Salle determined to walk back to Canada 
and get assistance for his party. He left the fort 
to Tonti, the only man in all the party who was 
still his friend. Tonti had come with him from 
France. 

Some months later La Salle returned to the fort. 
He found it indeed the fort of the Broken Heart. 
While he was away, the terrible Iroquois had made 
a raid through the country. They had attacked the 
fort and left it a blackened ruin. Not a human 
being was there to greet him. La Salle thought 
that Tonti and his men had been killed. They, 
however, had been taken prisoners by the Iroquois. 
Through the intelligence and courage of Tonti, who 
had been an Italian officer, they finally escaped and 
joined La Salle. 

As they were now close to the Mississippi River, 
La Salle decided to push on rapidly to the great 
river. In February, 1682, they entered the Missis- 
sippi. They journeyed slowly downstream, visiting 
the Indian tribes on either side, and at the end of 
two months reached the mouth of the river. Eagerly 
the hardy band jumped on shore. After singing the 
Te Deum they nailed to a tree a cross bearing the 
arms of France, and La Salle took possession of the 



LA SALLE ATTEMPTS TO PLANT A COLONY 21 

country in the name of King Louis XIV of France, 
and called it Louisiana in honor of the king. 

For thirteen years La Salle had labored to reach 
the mouth of the Mississippi. At last he had done 




Faiutmg by J. N. AIan-li:niil. 

. La Salle at the Mouih of the Mississippi 

SO. But there was more work yet to be done. In 
order that France m.ight hold the country bordering 
on the Mississippi, French colonies had to be planted 
in it. La Salle went back to Canada, and in a short 
while sailed for France. He wished to lay the new- 
found treasure of Louisiana at the feet of his king. 

La Salle was received with honor at the court on 
account of his great achievement. The king lis- 



22 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

tcned to him favorably and gave him more help than 
he had expected toward establishing a colony in 
Louisiana. Four vessels were fitted out with what 
was necessary to start a new colony. There were 
drugs for the little drug store of the village to be 
built on the banks of the Mississippi, and articles for 
the dry goods store and for the grocery store. Then 
there was a priest to preach to the colonists. The 
stores that were planned for the new colony were 
not like ours, for everything was to be given to the 
settlers until they could make enough money in the 
new colony to buy what they wanted. 

About a hundred soldiers went along to protect 
the colonists, and in the party were merchants, car- 
penters, laborers, several families with children, and 
young women w^ho went out to be married. 

The future seemed very bright for La Salle and 
his colony, but sometimes a man fails when he has 
everything to help him, and the cause is in himself 
alone. La Salle knew notliing of the sea, yet he 
asked to be made sole commander of the expedition 
and that the sailors and pilots should sail just as he 
ordered them. But the king's minister would not 
allow this, though he did what ought to have satis- 
fied a reasonable man. He put Beaujeu, a captain 
of the royal navy, in command while at sea, and La 
Salle was allowed to direct the course of the ships 
and have entire control of the soldiers and colonists 
when they should land. 



LA SALLE ATTEMPTS TO PLANT A COLONY 23 

Neither La Salle nor Beaujeu was satisfied with 
this arrangement, for they were very jealous of each 
other. By the time they were ready to sail, Beaujeu 
had all the sailors and half the colonists hating La 
Salle. La Salle might even then have made friends 
with the crew and the captain, for Beaujeu was not a 
bad-tempered man ; but La Salle was cold and sus- 
picious, and was too proud to care much what any 
one thouo-ht of him. 

Questions. — i. What explorer first reached the mouth of the 
Mississippi ? 

2. Tell about the naming of Louisiana and the ceremony of 
taking possession of the country. 

3. In what year did these events occur ? 

4. Tell what you know about the early trading with the 
Indians. 




La Salle's Autograph 



CHAPTER IV 

THE END OF LA SALLe's COLONY 

The fleet set sail from France in 1684. It was 
not a happy voyage, as the two leaders were so un- 
friendly. They safely reached the Gulf of Mexico, 
but as neither of tliem knew the coast, they passed 
the Mississippi without knowing it. On New Year's 
Day (1685) they landed on a low, sandy shore at a 
point in Texas which La Salle took to be the mouth 
of the Mississippi. He soon began to be uneasy, 
however, for fear he had made a mistake. He asked 
Beaujeu to turn back and coast along the shore in 
search of the Mississippi. Beaujeu refused to do so. 
He said he had advised against landing where they 
had landed, as the water was too shallow for the 
ships, but now the thing was done ; and as the 
weather was stormy and the coast dangerous, he was 
going back to France. Beaujeu, leaving two vessels 
with the colonists, sailed away. 

La Salle soon found that his colony would have 
been a failure no matter where it had been placed, 
for none of the soldiers were trained, some of them 
having been worthless beggars around the church 
doors in Paris. None of the mechanics knew their 
trade; all were discontented and blamed him for 

24 



THE END OF LA SALLE'S COLONY 



25 



their troubles. As a final blow, the two vessels 
left him by Beaujeu were wrecked. The colony 




Map of the Country explored by La Salle 

was now stranded indeed, for as long as the 
vessels remained there was a hope of getting 
away. 



26 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

La Salle now saw that he had failed in what he 
had hoped to make the grand work of his life. He 
did not complain, but his disappointment caused 
him to be more sad and stern than ever. He 
brooded over his misfortune, and made no effort to 
cheer his followers. Yet he deeply felt their un- 
happy lot, and did not intend to spare himself in an 
attempt to lead them back to Canada. 

Several times La Salle, with a party of men, set 
out in search of the Mississippi. Each time he 
came back to the fort ragged and weary, with the 
loss of more than half his men, and without finding 
the river. 

When La Salle went on these exploring parties, 
he always put the settlement under the command of 
Joutel, one of his most trustworthy aids. Joutel 
was a good manager. He knew that the worst 
thing possible for the men was idleness, so he set 
them all to work. They built more comfortable 
houses than they had been living in, and a small 
chapel was erected. The settlement was sur- 
rounded by long stakes driven into the ground ; 
this fence was called a palisade, and was a protec- 
tion asfainst the Indians. On the tallest house in 

O 

the fort were mounted eight pieces of cannon, two 
pieces at each corner of the building. 

Sometimes Joutel gave the peoj^le a holiday, when 
all would 2:0 huntino;. The women and children 
always went too, because they could not be left 



THE END OF LA SALLE'S COLONY 27 

behind for fear of an attack from the Indians. 
There was plenty of game on the wide Texas 
prairies. When the men had killed buffaloes, deer, 
wild turkeys, wild ducks, rabbits, and birds, the 
women helped to cut up the meat and smoke it. 
Then the colonists started home, every one, even 
the children, helping to carry the meat. Joutel said 
that if they wanted to eat, they must work. 

After the colonists were settled in their new 
houses and the meat was packed in the cellars, 
Joutel told them that they might all gather in the 
evenings and sing and dance and play cards. He 
asked the colonists to be as cheerful as they could, 
and to go to the little chapel every day and pray 
that La Salle might find the Mississippi. 

At last La Salle returned ; again he had not 
found the river for which he had been searchino^ 
so long. The colonists now believed that La Salle 
would never find the Mississippi, and abandoned 
the hope to which they had clung that their king 
would send a ship to take them home. They could 
stand the strain no longer. Attacked by a disease 
caused by exposure and poor food, they did not 
have the strength to withstand it, and a large 
number died. La Salle nursed the sick as gently 
as a woman ; and as soon as he could be spared, 
made the desperate resolve to seek help for his 
colony by going on foot from his settlement on the 
coast of Texas to Canada, a thousand miles away. 



28 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Of the forty men left he chose twenty and set 
out for Canada. Most of the men who accom- 
panied La Salle on this trip hated him, and were 
ready at the least excuse to revolt. One day during 
his absence from camp, his nephew got into diffi- 
culty with one of the men and was killed. La 
Salle was not the man to let this pass unpunished. 
This the men knew well ; so when he returned, one 
of the men hiding in the long grass shot him in the 
back. " There thou liest, great Bashaw," cried he. 
Then the men dragged his body into the long grass 
and left it. 

La Salle's brother and two others of the party, 
one of whom was Joutel, got back to France. They 
tried to get the king to help the colony, but he 
refused. It is supposed that either the Lidians or 
the Spaniards killed all the remaining colonists. 
< You will remember that De Soto showed the way 
to the Mississippi Valley. La Salle traveled the 
whole length of the valley and added it to the French 
crown. Now let us see who will be the brave man 
to finish the work. 

Questions. — Tell the history of the first settlement, in 1685 : 



I. 


The plans. 


2. 


The colonists. 


3- 


The leaders. 


4- 


The landing. 


5- 


Life in the Texas settlement, 


6. 


The fate of the colony. 



CHAPTER V 



IBERVILLE 



Shortly after the death of La Salle war broke 
out between France and England, and the French 
king had no time to think about Louisiana nor 
money to spend on her, for wars are very costly. 
During this time King Louis 
found that both England 
and Spain would be very 
glad to slip in and take 
Louisiana. Of course, this 
made him think his name- 
sake was worth something; 
and when the treaty of 
peace was signed, Louis 
saw to it that England did 
not get any land in America 
south of Canada. 

The French ministers of 
marine, Count Pontchartrain and his son, Count de 
Maurepas, were very patriotic men. They loved 
France and thought it would add to her wealth and 
importance to have flourishing colonies in America. 
When they learned that King Louis was thinking 

29 




Count Pontchartrain 



30 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



the same thing, both fatlier and son entered with 
energy into a scheme to send an expedition to 
Louisiana. It was to be managed differently from 
the last one. The ministers themselves would 
choose the man who should lead the important 

enterprise. They chose 
Pierre Lemoyne criber- 
ville, a voung Canadian 
officer. He and his ei"ht 
brothers were known to 
have fought bravely 
against the English, and 
Iberville had distin- 
guished himself most of 
all. He was handsome, 
popular, and liked by both 
officers and men. Pont- 
chartrain and Maurepas 
thought he was just the man for the work, and we 
think so too. 

Two well-stocked frigates were given to Iberville. 
Before he sailed, he examined the provisions, the 
presents for the Indians, and the ammunition, and 
tried the guns to satisfy himself that everything 
was all right. The expedition left France in 1698. 
The Atlantic Ocean was crossed without any mishap. 
Iberville stopped on the coast of Florida. He liked 
the looks of the country so much that he thought 
he would take it also for France; but in a bay ahead 




Pierre Lemoyne D'Ihervii.i.e 



IBERVILLE 31 

he saw ships with tall masts. They belonged to a 
Spanish fleet. A Spanish officer came out in a boat 
and received him politely, but just as politely hinted 
that he had better pass on, as that part of the country 
belonged to Spain. 

Iberville then sailed away in search of the Mis- 
sissippi. He coasted around several beautiful little 
islands and entered Mobile Bay, but he was not 
interested in that harbor just then. Other islands 
were passed, and Iberville's brother Bienville, a boy 
of eighteen years, was sent ahead to find a good 
landing. He found a pass between two islands to 
the north, and one morning just as the dawn was 
breaking, Iberville in the ship Badinc, leading the 
way, landed at Ship Island. This island is off 
the coast of what is now the State of Mississippi, 
The men were tired after their long sea trip, and 
had a good time roaming about the island. 

A little island that was near they named Cat 
Island, because they saw running about ever so 
many little animals which they took for cats. 
" This is the kingdom of cats," exclaimed one of 
the men ; but he was mistaken. They were rac- 
coons. As soon as the sun came up, Iberville got 
out his spyglass, and across the water to the north 
about twenty miles distant he could see land. In- 
dians were walking about the shore and some were 
paddling around in their canoes. 

As soon as a few huts were built to protect the 



32 HISTORY OP^ LOUISIANA 

men from the weather, Iberville took Bienville and 
a few others and crossed over to the mainland. He 
carried with him some of his finest presents, for he 
was anxious to make friends with the Indians. 
As there were so many of them and so few French, 
he feared that if he did not make friends of 
them, they might kill all the French. Then, too, 
he wanted them to show him the way to the Mis- 
sissippi. He need not have been afraid of the 
Indians, for they were equally afraid of him, and 
they all ran away just as the raccoons had done — 
all except one poor, old, sick Indian and a squaw, 
perhaps his wife, who peeped from behind a tree. 

The next day the squaw brought several war- 
riors of her tribe to see the French. Iberville asked 
them to go with him and look over his ship, but they 
were afraid to trust him. To show them he was 
honest, he said he would leave his brother with the 
tribe while the warriors were visiting the ship. Then 
the Indians went with him. Iberville gave them a 
good dinner, and the sailors showed them every- 
thing on the ship. There was not one on board 
who could speak the language of these Indians, but 
the French managed to understand that the savages 
knew nothing of the long-sought river. 

The next day several Indians from another tribe 
came, and the French were able to make out enough 
to understand that they lived on the banks of a great 
river to the west. These Indians said that they were 



IBERVILLE ^^ 

out hunting, and promised that on their way back 
they would stop and get Iberville and take him to 
the river„ But they did not keep their word, and 
that was the last seen of them. Then Iberville did 
what we must all do if we wish to succeed : he de- 
pended upon himself. The next day he set forth 
with two barges, about fifty Canadians, and enough 
provisions and ammunition to last a month. The 
mists and fog were so thick that they were soon in 
the gloomiest place they ever saw in their lives. 
They little knew that they were in the delta of the 
Mississippi. All day they moved slowly about the 
multitude of dreary-looking little islands, covered with 
long, quivering reeds growing up out of the water. 

Their barges were too frail to battle with the 
tossing waves of the Gulf during the night ; so they 
stopped on one of the islands which, even though 
overflowed, seemed more hospitable than the stormy 
sea. The men cut down reeds and piled them up 
so as not to have to lie or sit in water. 

The next afternoon a fearful storm almost swept 
them from the island. If you had been there, you 
would have thought that if you were only spared, 
you would never wish to go out with an exploring 
party again. Perhaps some of these men thought 
so too, but they had started upon the work and had 
to go through with it ; then, too, they were under 
the command of a man who did not stop till he had 
finished what he had undertaken. When the storm 



34 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

had subsided sufficiently for tliem to start out again 
on their journey, a strong wind blew them toward 
the mainland. Iberville kept as near the shore as 
possible for fear of making La Salle's mistake of 
passing the mouth of the river. 

One afternoon, just about dusk, a furious wind 
was driving the barges against what seemed to be a 
rocky cape rising above the surging water. Some 
decision would have to be made quickly, for night 
was almost upon them. To remain in the open Gulf 
was certain death ; to steer toward the rocks seemed 
almost as certain death. Iberville decided to make 
a desperate attempt to round the cape. He took 
hold of the tiller, and his barge plunged forward, 
followed closely by the other. To his amazement, 
the cape broke into crags with fresh, muddy water 
gushing out between them. The crags were not 
rocks at all. Iberville examined them and found 
they were only driftwood that had been coming 
down the river for hundreds of years, and had been 
stuck together with mud which the sun had hard- 
ened into a kind of cement. Iberville hoped that 
he had found the mouth of the Mississippi River. 

Questions. — i. Tell what you can about the leader of the 
second expedition of colonists. 

2. Where did they land and build their first houses ? 

3. Describe Iberville's hunt for the mouth of the Mississippi. 

4. Where were the Spaniards settled in North America at this 
time ? 



CHAPTER VI 

IBERVILLE EXPLORES THE MISSISSIPPI 

The only thing for Iberville to do now was to 
keep on until he found out exactly where he was. 
After the boats had gone about a hundred and 
twenty miles up the river, they came upon some 
Indians who ran as the French came near ; but 
one of them was a brave young fellow, and he 
stopped and faced the newcomers. They made 
friendly signs and persuaded him to get into their 
boat. He was a Bayougoula, and led them to the 
country of the Bayougoulas and Mongoulachas, who 
received the explorers kindly and gave them a 
supper of stewed chicken. The hungry men en- 
joyed this homelike dish and felt that they had 
found a pleasant country where chickens grew 
wild; but the Indians said they were only a few 
that had been taken from a wrecked vessel. 

From what the Indians told Iberville he was more 
convinced than ever that he had found the river he 
was seeking, but he was not the kind of man to 
rest while there was the least doubt. He thought 
it best to go on up the river about five days' journey 
to the Houmas Indians. 

35 



36 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

As the explorers passed up the river, they came 
to a part of the country which was higher than any 
they had seen. On the bank they noticed a long 
red pole, with heads of fish and pieces of bear- 
meat stuck on it, which some of the Indian hunters 
had offered to the spirits for giving them good luck. 
One of the Frenchmen said it was a " baton rouge " 
(red stick), and Baton Rouge it has been ever since, 
for the capital of your State is now where the long 
red stick once stood. 

When they reached the Houmas, the chief came 
out to meet them, and Iberville gave him some of 
his most beautiful presents. The chief then enter- 
tained the French in the very best Indian style. 
A big dinner was given, and when they could 
eat no more, they smoked a long while. Iberville 
did not like to smoke, as it made him sick ; but 
the Indians would have thought him very rude 
had he refused, so he puffed away, for he wanted 
to keep them in a good humor. After the dinner 
and smoking were over, some boys and girls in 
bright paint and brilliant feathers, with jingling 
pieces of metal on arms and wrists, bounded into 
an open space, dancing a wild, fantastic dance, 
moving their graceful feet and slender bodies in 
time with the music of pebbles rattled in hollow 
gourds. The musicians rattled softly at the slow 
parts, and more and more furiously as the dancers 
whirled round and round, and in and out. When 



IBERVILLE EXPLORES THE MISSISSIPPI 37 

the dancers retired, out came the young braves, 
throwing and catching their tomahawks and knives, 
and singing the terrible war song. This ended 
the entertainment. 

When the young people were gone, the chief of 
the tribe and Iberville sat down for a long powwow, 
as the Indians called their conferences. The chief 
assured Iberville that he was sailing on the river he 
was looking for, and ^ 

fi '-^^ "-' T"""*; 0U^-.-JL^ ^ 

had once passed '^^ //7 / 

through the village, ^--V ^ ^ 

on his way to the Iberville's Autograhi 

mouth of this same river in search of La Salle. 
Then one of the guides spoke up and told Iberville 
that the Mongoulacha chief had a letter which Tonti 
had left with him to be given to a man who would 
come up from the sea, meaning La Salle. 

Iberville now felt that it was useless to 2:0 farther. 
He therefore told Bienville to go down the river to 
the Gulf, and cautioned him not to forget Tonti's 
letter. In the meantime Iberville took a few men 
and explored another part of the countr)^ He came 
to a small bayou which led to the Gulf through two 
broad lakes. He named these lakes Pontchartrain 
and Maurepas for the two ministers through whose 
influence he had been sent to Louisiana. 

The two brothers reached Ship Island within a 
few days of each other. Bienville brought with hini 



38 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

the letter which Tonti had written to La Salle. 
Tonti wrote in the letter that, as he had heard that 
La Salle had left France with a party of emigrants 
for the Mississippi, he had gone to join him with 
twenty Canadians and thirty Indians. The faithful 
Tonti closed his letter by saying: " It is the great- 
est disappointment for me to have to return without 
having the fortune to find you. Though we have 
not found any trace of you, I do not despair that 
God will grant a full success to your enterprise. I 
hope this with all my heart, for you have not a more 
faithful follower than I, who sacrifice everything to 
follow you." The faithful friend of La Salle did 
not know that his leader had been murdered in 
Texas and his body thrown into the bushes. 

Iberville was now sure that he had found the 
Mississippi. The next thing to do was to plant 
a settlement. It was necessary to build a fort as 
quickly as possible, as the supply of provisions was 
Q^ettins: low^ and he had to hasten back to France 
for more. He had wanted to build the fort on the 
Mississippi River, but he could not get his large 
ships through the passes of the delta. After look- 
ing at several places, he chose a piece of high 
ground on the shore of the Bay of Biloxi. 

None of the men were skilled workmen, but they 
were so tired of roaming around and of being on 
shipboard that they were glad to get to work. 
Some cut down trees and built the fort, while 



IBERVILLE EXPLORES THE MISSISSIPPI 



39 



others, taking the barges and httle boats, carried 
thino^s from the vessels to the fort. You children 
would have had a fine time if you had been there. 
After everything was clean and in good order Iber- 




Copyrighl, iqoj, by Detroit Photographic Company. 

The Coast at Biloxi 

ville went back to France. Before leaving he put 
Sauvole, one of his faithful ofificers, in command, 
and Bienville next in command. 

The settlers had not been in their new fort long 
before company came. The Bayougoula chief with 
some of his warriors came to return the visit of the 
French. It was now the Frenchmen's turn to enter- 
tain. It cost them something too, for the Indians 
expected to receive presents. After bright-colored 
shirts and other presents had been given, the Indians 
were taken over the fort. There are many things we 
never notice because we have been used to them all 



40 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

our lives; but if you can imagine yourself a savage 
who has never been among civilized people, you can 
understand how many new and curious articles the 
Bayougoulas found to wonder at. 

When the Indians saw there was so much to 
interest them, the chief told Sauvole that their 
squaws were across the bay. Of course, Sauvole 
gallantly took the hint and had them brought over. 
For their pleasure he put the men through a drill 
and marched them to the beating of the drum. The 
Indians thought this the most thrilling music they 
had ever heard, and each one of them wanted the 
drum; but Sauvole could not spare it. The Bayou- 
goulas went away delighted, the chief promising 
the French the friendship of his tribe. 

Questions, — i. Tell about the Frenchmen's first visit to the 
site of Baton Rouge. 

2. Describe some of the Indian customs of amusement and 
their entertainment of guests. 

3. Tell what you have read about the man for whom Lake 
Pontchartrain was named. 

4. What place did Iberville select for building the first fort 
and settlement ? Find it on the map in the front of this book. 



CHAPTER VII 



IBERVILLE AND BIENVILLE 



Bienville had been Iberville's right-hand man 
in making friends with the Indians. He had Hved 
among them in Canada and had easily learned many 
of their languages. Moreover, he had a friendly, 
tactful way. He was fair in his dealings with the 
Indians, and they liked him. Before Iberville left 
for France, he had a talk with his brother and told 
him what he wished him to do while he was away. 
He said that he had heard that the English were 
thinking of sending a company of settlers to the 
Mississippi, and that Bienville must strengthen the 
French hold by exploring more of the country and 
making friends with as many Indian tribes as 
possible. 

Bienville went first among the Indians on the 
northern shore of Lake Pontchartrain, and while 
there he was told that two days before they had been 
attacked by another tribe headed by two Englishmen. 
Several days later he was paddling down the Missis- 
sippi when, on turning a bend, he suddenly came 
upon an English vessel. Bienville rowed up to it 
and went on board. He found that he had known 

41 • 



42 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

the commander, Captain Barr, in Canada; and in 
the course of their conversation the captain told him 
his government was about to send out several ship- 
loads of people, and that he was examining the 
banks of the river to find a good place to settle, 
though he was not quite certain that he was on 
the Mississippi. Bienville told him that all this 
country belonged to the French, who had a strong 
fort and soldiers not far away. The English captain 
then turned and sailed away. Ever since that time 
the bend in the river has been called the English 
Turn. 

When Iberville got back in the year 1700, Bien- 
ville told him what had occurred. Iberville became 
very uneasy, for he felt that the arrival of the Eng- 
lish vessel on the Mississippi proved the truth of the 
report that England would try to settle Louisiana. 
He wished to follow his own ideas with regard 
to Louisiana; but the government, though inter- 
ested in its settlement, left the matter in the hands 
of Pontchartrain, who agreed with Iberville that the 
only way to hold the country was to people it ; yet 
they did not agree upon the way of doing this. 

Iberville had seen what the difficulties would be 
and what the new settlements would need, to make 
them a success. He was a man with a great deal of 
common sense. His plan was to settle the country 
with people who had a little money, who had worked 
and were willing to work. With emigrants of that 



IBERVILLE AND BIENVILLE 



43 



kind he believed the colony would soon be able to 
take care of itself. 

But Pontchartrain would not listen to such a plan. 
He told Iberville to pay a great deal of attention to 
the tamino: of wild animals for the sake of their 




Copyright, iqoi, by Detroit Photographic Company. 

Site of Old Fort Bayou 
The fort was built by Iberville on the east side of Biloxi Bay 

wool, to see if it were possible to teach the Indian 
girls to raise silkworms, to find out if there were 
valuable pearl fisheries in the Gulf, and to remem- 
ber that the most important thing was the dis- 
covery of mines. To make sure that the last was 
attended to, a geologist, Le Sueur, was sent along 
with Iberville, with orders to search for a copper 
mine reported to be on the upper Mississippi. Iber- 
ville had not seen any gold or silver or copper in 



44 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Louisiana, and he knew that De Soto had found 
none. Nor did he liave much faith in the geologist's 
finding any. Yet he obeyed orders as nearly as he 
could, and in the meantime was sowing a crop of 
sugar cane and giving the Indians some orange, 
cotton, and apple seed to plant. 

Next he looked for a good place to build another 
fort. Since the English were so active, it would not 
do to leave the lower Mississippi unprotected. The 
Indians showed him a place which did not overflow, 
about fifty-four miles from the mouth of the river. 
Here the new fort was built. While Iberville and 
Bienville .were superintending the building of the 
fort, their attention was attracted to a canoe cominor 
rapidly down the stream and steering for the bank 
where they stood. One of the men leaped ashore 
and introduced himself as the Chevalier de Tonti, 
the friend of La Salle. They were very glad to 
see him. He had heard the French were in Louisi- 
ana and had come to see if it were really true. He 
was eager to throw himself into the work, and offered 
his services to Iberville, who very gratefully accepted 
them. Iberville needed some one to visit the Indian 
tribes whom the English were urging to attack the 
tribes friendly to the French. 

Tonti was therefore sent on a visit to the fierce 
Chickasaws, while Iberville himself visited the Nat- 
chez Indians. Iberville was greatly delighted with 
the country of the Natchez. He found them more 



IBERVILLE AND BIENVILLE 45 

civilized than any other Indians he had seen. Their 
chief was called the Great Sun, and his home was 
on a mound overlooking the villages of his subjects, 
which were dotted over a beautiful plain. This 
Great Sun was a very important person indeed. He 
chose his servants and his little son's playmates from 
the most aristocratic families. If a Great Sun died, 
his servants were strangled at his grave to wait on 
him in the next world ; and if his boy died, the play- 
mates had to follow their little master. So, while it 
was a great honor to be chosen to wait on royalty, it 
was an honor sometimes dearly paid for. The Great 
Sun could have any of his people put to death if 
he did not like them, and they supported him, while 
he did not work at all. 

When the royal pantry was empty, an invitation 
was sent to the people to attend a great feast in the 
king's home. This seems a queer time for such an 
invitation, but the Natchez Indians' ways were not 
like ours. All the company came loaded down with 
something to eat ; and after everybody had eaten a 
good dinner, there was enough left to last the Sun's 
family a long time. When food again gave out in 
the king's house, another invitation would be sent 
to the people to bring provisions to the royal house- 
hold. 

The next tribe the Frenchmen visited was the 
Tensas, among whom they saw something which 
they never forgot. They were awakened one night 



46 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

by a terrible hailstorm, such as we sometimes have 
in early spring, and were told the temple had been 
struck by lightning. When they reached the place, 
they saw the " medicine man " — who in every tribe 
was half doctor and half priest, and who looked more 
like a demon than a man — standing before the blaz- 
ing temple and shrieking above the howling wind to 
the squaws that their god was angry and would not 
be at peace with them until they had offered their 
papooses (as the Indian babies were called) to him 
through the flames. Several mothers rushed up, 
and, throwing their little ones into the fire, stood 
by watching the flames wrap around the writhing, 
tender little forms. Iberville tried to make them 
feel the horror of the thing, but the women believed 
they had won a place in the happy hereafter by so 
great a sacrifice. 

The Tensas' village was as far as Iberville went. 
Here, putting the expedition under the command of 
Bienville with instructions to explore the Red River 
country, he returned to Biloxi. 

Questions. — i. How were the English prevented from settHng 
on the Mississippi ? 

2. Who was Bienville ? 

3. Tell the story of Tonti as given in Chapters III, VI, and VII. 

4. What wise thing did Iberville do in the matter of starting 
crops ? 

5. What Indian customs have you learned about in this chap- 
ter ? 



CHAPTER VIII 

BIENVILLE VISITS THE RED RIVER COUNTRY 

Bienville proceeded to visit the Red River coun- 
try. If he and his Canadians had not been hardy 
young fellows, they would have turned back after 
the first day's march. They moved steadily toward 
the north against a piercing March wind, with a 
sleety rain dashing into their faces. A great part 
of the time they traveled through water up to their 
waists. The Indians thought this was too much ; 
they said they did not want to walk through ice 
water all day, and went back. The Frenchmen 
laughed and sang and got up into the trees to sleep 
and eat and dry themselves, and then went gayly on. 
They wanted to impress upon the Indians that they 
had come to stay, and were not to be put out by 
such small matters as cold winds and ice water. 

It was owing to Bienville's courage, perseverance, 

and tact that his men stuck to him. They went as 

-: i far as Natchitoches, and the knowledge orained of 

, I that part of the country was of great value to the 

-^ Iw French. 

^ Iberville, sick with fever, again sailed for France. 
Before he left he put Bienville in command of the 



r 



48 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

new fort on the Mississippi and Sauvole in com- 
mand at Biloxi. As time passed the two young 
commanders did little more than hold the forts. 
No new settlers came ; those already there had no 
money and could do nothing without the help of 
France. Bienville occupied his time in having his 
fort kept in fine condition and in seeing to the 
planting and working of vegetable gardens. 

Sauvole was having a harder task. His men were 
more difficult to control ; they had left Canada 
through the love of adventure, and liked to hunt, 
drink, and play cards ; but they would not work. 
What little had been planted a long drought dried 
up; water, too, became very scarce, and this nat- 
urally caused sickness. Sauvole nobly devoted him- 
self to nursing the worthless, trifling men, and lost 
his life in doing his duty. 

Now the charge of both forts fell to Bienville. 
Many calls for aid were made upon him, but he 
managed economically and wisely, and was able to 
keep his own people from starving and to satisfy 
the Indians with food and presents. 

Iberville returned to Louisiana in 1701. He 
tried to get Spain to cede Pensacola in Florida to 
France, but Spain refused to do so, and warned 
the French to keep away from her possessions. 
Iberville was determined to have a port on the Gulf 
coast, and since he could not get Pensacola, he 
ordered Bienville to build a fort and start a town 



BIENVILLE VISITS THE RED RIVER COUNTRY 49 

on the Mobile River and move the colony from 
Biloxi to Mobile. Iberville superintended the build- 
ing of the fort and the laying out of a small town, 




A rj-e Je. Z'£jl 
J'ajje SuJud 



B U Jl£ E JC I^ Q U E 



Map of the Country Around the Mouth of the Mississippi 

From a map made in 1758. 

and made arrangements for the landing of emi- 
grants on what is now Dauphin Island. 

Iberville looked upon what had been done with 
great satisfaction. The French now claimed a 
stretch of country encircling the Gulf from Mobile 



5© HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Bay to Matagorda Bay on the coast of Texas, 
where La Salle had landed. It may seem strange 
that they should want so much territory when they 
were able neither to work nor to settle what they 
had. But the early explorers were much like the old 
woman who was always saying, "While you are get- 
ting, get a plenty." They were farsightecl enough 
to see that the time to get land was when it might 
be had almost for the claiming. They knew that 
another generation would look after settling it. 

Iberville was particularly desirous of gaining the 
friendship of the powerful Choctaws and Chicka- 
saws, especially the latter, as they were friends of 
the English and disposed to give the French 
trouble. It was a great relief to him at this time 
to receive a message from Tonti that he was on the 
way to the French fort with chiefs from both of 
these tribes. When the Indians arrived at the fort, 
they saw a glittering array of presents spread tempt- 
ingly on the ground. They gazed in wide-eyed 
astonishment and admiration. So much powder 
and balls, so many guns, they had not dreamed 
were in the world — to say nothing of the shining 
hatchets and knives, and gayly colored beads and 

r curious trinkets. They lost no time in getting out 
their peace-pipes, and made all the promises Iber- 
j ville asked of them. But the red man in some re- 
? spects is like his white brothers — sometimes he 
does not keep his word. 



BIENVILLE VISrrs THE RED RIVER COUNTRY 51 

War had again broken out between France and 
England, and Iberville could not remain longer in 
Louisiana. He was needed to fight for France on 
the sea. He knew the war would cost a great deal 
of money and that France would need every cent she 
could raise, yet he was determined that no matter 
what happened, he would bear his colony in mind. 
Iberville was too level-headed to believe that soldiers 
in a fort and geologists with wild schemes of discov- 
ering gold and silver mines would ever make strong, 
permanent settlements. He knew that women were 
needed to make homes, and promised Bienville that 
when he returned to France he would lay this need 
before the government. He then sailed away, leav- 
ing Bienville in command — a governor only twenty- 
two years old. Iberville knew his young brother 
had learned much from experience, was firm, quiet, 
and strong-willed; and he believed that Bienville 
would prove worthy of the trust placed in him. 

Questions. — i. What two forts did the French colonists have 
in 1 700 ? 

2. Tell something of life in the colony at this time. 

3. Where was the next fort and settlement made ? 



CHAPTER IX 

BIENVILLE AT THE HEAD OF THE GOVERNMENT 

To be the sole representative of royal authority 
in the colony was a big responsibility to rest upon 
the young governor. Just now things were happen- 
ing which made it important that Bienville should 
not make mistakes. It meant a good deal in those 
days to the colonies that France and England were 
at war, for when the mother countries quarreled, the 
children across the water took up the fight. Eng- 
lish vessels cruising about the Gulf interrupted the 
flourishing trade which had sprung up between the 
colony and the West Indies, and, moreover, kept 
Bienville in constant fear of attack. The Indians 
who were allies of the Ensflish were also made bold 
by the nearness of their friends, and often attacked 
the Indians friendly to the French. . 

You have noticed, perhaps, that the French were 
on o-ood terms with most of the Indians. Though 
Bienville was just as fair in his dealings with them 
as ever, yet he now had a powerful rival in the Eng- 
lish traders, who appealed to the Indian's self-inter- 
est — an instinct very strong in all of us. The 
English traders were everywhere going among the 

52 



BIENVILLE AT HEAD OF GOVERNMENT 



53 



Indians, selling them better and cheaper goods and 

trying to draw them away from the French. When 

they could not do this, they encouraged the Indian 

allies of the English to 

attack the French Indians 

and murder the French 

missionaries. 

Bienville, though he 
had few men and very 
little money, was forced 
to take sides. To keep 
his Indian friends, he 
must protect them. This 
led to a petty warfare 
which lasted for many 
years, was very annoying, 
and cost a good deal of 
money. Bienville prob- 
ably managed as wisely as any one could have done 
in his place. It is wonderful that he was able to 
keep his little settlement from being wiped out, as 
the Indians could see how few men he had. Once 
when he was trying to impress a tribe with the 
greatness of the French nation, a chief said, " If 
your countrymen are as thick on their native soil as 
the leaves of our forests, how is it they do not send 
more of their warriors here to avenge the deaths of 
those fallen by our hands ?" 

Truly this year of 1 703 was a gloomy one. 




Bienville 



54 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Tliough Iberville did not forget his promise and 
sent over a ship laden with good things, — and 
twenty-three fresh-faced girls to become the wives 
of those young men, — yet the ship was not wholly 
a blessing. It had touched at Havana and brought 
into the colony yellow fever. Many of the people 
died, among whom, and the most deeply mourned of 
all, was the courageous man and true friend, Tonti. 

From this time on Bienville had to bring to bear 
all his courage and self-control. The young women 
were disappointed, and did not hesitate to say so. 
They had been accustomed to the ordinary comforts 
of a city and had not the slightest idea of the mean- 
ing of pioneer life. When they were taken to log 
cabins, furnished with homemade furniture, and had 
nothing for breakfast, dinner, and supper but parched 
corn, they said that they had been deceived and that 
while the men might eat such stuff, they would 
leave on the first ship if better food were not 
given to them. As Bienville was a young bachelor, 
and most of his life had been spent among men, 
he must have been at a loss to know what to do. 

This affair, however, was not so serious as the 
complaints and intrigues of some of the colonists 
who were jealous of young Bienville. They criti- 
cised Bienville and interfered with his authority. 
The quarrel grew until it was not long before every- 
body in the garrison was taking one side or the 
other. 



BIENVILLE AT HEAD OF GOVERNMENT 55 

Finally the enemies of Bienville wrote to France 
that Bienville was selling to the Spaniards the stores 
sent for the use of the colonists and putting the 
money in his own pocket. You know without 
beino^ told that Bienville would not bear this insult 
patiently. He wrote back to France, bitterly deny- 
ing the charge, and accused the men of lying mali- 
ciously. Several years passed and every ship from 
Louisiana carried back accusations and denials, un- 
til at last Bienville was dismissed from office. It 
seems strange that the word of unreliable men 
should have been taken instead of Bienville's. It 
seems, too, that his interest in the colony and his 
services should have counted for something; but 
then, as now, a great deal depended upon political 
influence, and Bienville had none. Iberville, once 
powerful at court, had died. His friend, Count 
Pontchartrain, was also dead. The new minister, 
the new Count Pontchartrain, was a very different 
man from the old count, and neither knew Bienville 
nor felt any interest in him. 

A new governor, who, however, died on the way, 
and a new commissary, Diron D'Artaguette, were 
sent out. Bienville, like the brave man and honor- 
able gentleman he was, wanted to sail immedi- 
ately for Paris and himself answer to the charges 
made against him, but D'Artaguette told him he 
v/ould be needed until a new governor had been 
appointed. D'Artaguette had a kind motive in this. 



56 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Though he did not tell Bienville, he had been 
ordered to look strictly into his conduct, and if the 
charges against him were true, to send him a pris- 
oner to France. 

D'Artafjuette did not want Bienville to oro to 
France until he had written a full and true account 
to the minister, for the royal commissary knew that 
it was easier to get into a French prison than to 
get out. He found nothing wrong with Bienville's 
administration ; on the contrary, he found that 
Bienville had managed remarkably well with so 
little money. Instead of making money, neither 
Bienville nor his brothers had received their salaries 
for some time. 

D'Artaguette saw that the colony was very poor ; 
no emigrants were coming in; and through lack of 
money nothing was done to develop the country. 
Yet he knew that money had been appropriated for 
the colony. Where was it.^* After reading D'Arta- 
guette's report, the French government discovered 
that the money had been stolen by officials before 
it ever left France. 

Three years passed, and no ship and no governor 
came to the colony from France. The colony had 
either to starve or take care of itself. On account 
of overflows the fort on the Mobile River was re- 
moved to the site of the present city of Mobile; 
and to keep all from starving, Bienville sent some of 
the young men to live among the Indians. They 




BIENVILLE AT HEAD OF GOVERNMENT 57 

hunted with the young braves, and at night danced 
and sang with the Indian girls, and had such a good 
time that they were not wilHng to go back to disci- 
phne. If work were as 
much as mentioned to 
them, they ran off to 
the woods. 

The future of the col- 

BiENViLLES Autograph 

ony had never seemed 

so gloomy, for never before had the mother country 
so utterly neglected it. But France had not for- 
gotten the colony. She herself lacked money at 
this time ; so Pontchartrain was looking about to 
see how he could best get rid of troublesome 
Louisiana. 

Questions. — Tell about Bienville's first term as governor 
(1702-1712) : 

I. Relations with the Indians. 

2 . The coming of women from France. 

3. The yellow fever epidemic. 

4. Bienville's enemies and the investigation of his government. 

5. Hardships of life in the colony. 



CHAPTER X 

ANTOINE CROZAT 

At this time there lived in France a man named 
Antoine Crozat. He had once been a poor country 
boy. He had been fortunate enough to have a 
chance of getting a very good education. As a 
boy he wanted to do things in life — something 
that his kinsfolk and comrades never dreamed of. 
He was not satisfied to spend his life as his fore- 
fathers had done, plodding along in the same old way. 

When Antoine grew to be a man, he went to 
Paris and became a merchant. It was not many 
years before he was rich and lived in a fine house. 
He had servants and carriages and horses, and 
when he became very, very rich, he was presented 
at the court of the great King Louis XIV. He wore 
velvet and satin, with diamond buckles on his 
shoes, and sparkling rings on his fingers, and his 
wig curled in rows of glossy curls. 

Now he was a fine gentleman indeed ! Even 
princes of the royal blood paid him attention. 
They asked him to dine with them and were so 
friendly as to borrow money from him. You think, 
perhaps, that he was perfectly happy ; but not so. 

58 



ANTOINE CROZAT 



59 



There was something else he wanted. He wished 
to own large estates, for if they were only large 
enough, he might become a nobleman himself. 

Pontchartrain knew Crozat's ambition and un- 
folded to him a fascinating scheme of chartering 
Louisiana. Pontchartrain 
told him that he could 
own estates in that prov- 
ince broader tlian those 
of any prince, and the 
mines would bring him 
such wealth as to make 
kings seem paupers. 

Crozat was dazzled at 
the brilliant prospect be- 
fore him. He had great 
confidence in himself ; he 
had made his life a sue- 
cess so far ; why should 
he not continue to do so ? 
/Therefore a baro;ain was made between him and the 
I government in 171 2. As some writer has said, 
p, j Louisiana became through this bargain a royal 
farm, with King Louis the landlord and Crozat 
I the farmer. And the farmer felt hopeful of mak- 
v^ lying a fine crop. 

;^ J Now this was the bargain : No one but Crozat 

(*5 (should be allowed to trade in all that immense 

I country between the Alleghany Mountains on the 




King Louis XIV 



6o HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

east and Mexico on the west, and from the Great 
Lakes on the north to the Gulf of Mexico on the 
south. F'or trading purposes he could carry what- 
ever he pleased from France and trade in any way 
he liked. If other people should be caught trading 
in Louisiana without his permission, the king's 
soldiers would seize their goods. No one else 
could have factories in the colony. He alone 
could make silk and woolen and leather goods. 
He was also given the sole right to trade in furs, 
excepting beaver skins. This exception was made 
because the Canadians traded in beaver skins, and 
as they were Frenchmen, they must be protected 
in this trade. The last and most gracious favor 
of his Majesty to Crozat was to give him all the 
land he could cultivate and allow him to work the 
mines. He naturally could not expect to keep all 
the wealth that it was thought the mines would 
produce, and considered it generous that the king 
should reserve only one fourth of all the gold 
and silver found, and one tenth of the precious 
stones. 

Crozat on his part was to bring over two ship- 
loads of settlers every year, and after nine years 
was to pay the expense of all ofificers and soldiers 
stationed in the colony to protect it. 

This indeed seemed to be the grand opportunity 
of his life. If Crozat had known as much about 
the geography of this country as you children do, 



ANTOINE CROZAT 6i 

he would have scratched his head and thought a 
long, long time before undertaking so much. 

That Crozat's interest might be better served, it 
was thought wise to appoint a new governor and 
also a council which would govern the colony by 
the laws of France. But a mistake was made in 
the appointment of a governor. The new gov- 
ernor, Cadillac, belonged to one of the old families 
of France, was pompous, narrow-minded, and quar- 
reled with every one who did not think as he did. 
He quarreled with one man because he got drunk, 
with another because he was a fool, and with Bien- 
ville because he did not take the holy communion. 

Because Dauphin Island was the first land in 
Louisiana that he saw, Cadillac judged the whole 
country from that little spot, and said it was a 
miserable country with a few plum trees bearing 
two or three plums to a tree. When the settlers 
came to him to divide the land, he told them to take 
what they wanted, as none of it was of any account. 
He turned up his aristocratic nose at Bienville and 
his friends, and called them vagabonds and ruffians, 
without respect for law or religion. 

Now this was the man who, as the governor, was 
supposed to work for the good of the colony as a 
whole. Crozat was too wrapt up in his schemes for 
making more money to take a broad view of the 
situation and to see that even for his own success 
it would be better to unite the colonists so that all 



62 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

would act together. To do this he simply needed 
to be just and give the colonies an interest in 
the enterprise. Instead of doing so, he attached 
Cadillac to himself by giving him a share in some 
mines, and ignored Bienville ; but Bienville, of all 
men, was in close touch with the colonists and had 




Copyright iqoi, by Detroit Photographic Company. 

Bay St. Louis 
On this coast one of the earliest settlements was made. 

their confidence. He felt very badly because he had 
been put aside for strangers. 

Bienville, sick at heart, asked to be given a com- 
mand in the French navy, but Pontchartrain, know- 
intx how well he could manasre the Indians, ordered 
him to remain in Louisiana. He made no effort to 
hide his feelings, and thus the new administration 
began with almost an open quarrel. 

Crozat found it a difficult matter to make money 
from the bargain, which on paper had seemed so 



ANTOINE CROZAT 63 

tempting. The land to be worked had to be stocked 
with everything needed on a big plantation, and, 
though he had been given the right to bring over 
from Africa a shipload of negroes every year to 
work the crops, these negroes must be fed and 
taught to work. Factories had to be built, and 
fitted with expensive machinery, and the raw ma- 
terial raised for use in the factories. As for the 
mines, there were none. 

Crozat had hoped to establish a liv'ely trade with 
the Spaniards in Florida and Mexico, but Spain was 
now friendly to England and unfriendly to France, 
and consequently forbade the Spaniards in her 
colonies to trade with the French in Louisiana. 
The trade that Crozat could carry on with his own 
colonists amounted to little. They were poor and 
were scattered throughout the province. They pre- 
ferred to trade with the Indians and the English, 
who gave better bargains. This trade was illegal, 
and was carried on without Crozat's knowledge. 

Crozat at last found that he could not pay the 
expenses he had agreed to pay, and when one 
of his ships came in loaded with expensive goods, 
he had to give the cargo to the people for wages. 
But what could they do with such costly things ? 
They wanted money with which to buy something 
to eat. Their dissatisfaction added greatly to the 
troubles of Crozat, but before giving up, he deter- 
mined to make one more effort to succeed. 



64 



HISrORY OF J,0U1SIANA 



Questions. — i. State the extent of the " farm " that was leased 
to Crozat. 

2. What privileges was he given? 

3. What was he required to do? 

Crozat expected to make a fortune from (i) mining, (2) f;irm- 
ing, (3) trading, and (4) manufacturing. Tell why he failed in 
each of these expectations. 




A Group of Ckee Indians 



CHAPTER XI 



ST. DENIS 



Crozat thouo;ht of one more chance left to him. 
If the right man were sent to interview the viceroy 
of Mexico, some arrangement might be made to 
establish a trade between Louisiana and Mexico. 
There was in the colony a handsome young fellow, 
St. Denis. He was a cousin of Bienville. He had 
attractive, courtly manners, and Crozat chose him as 
the best man for this mission. 

St. Denis and twenty-four horsemen started in 
1 714 across Texas. They came to a Spanish set- 
tlement, the Presidio del Norte, where the com- 
mander received them most politely. St. Denis 
told the Spanish commander his business, and 
asked whether he would assist him; but the Span- 
iard answered that he had no authority to speak 
on the subject, that all such matters must be 
brought before the viceroy at the city of Mexico. 

St. Denis spent several days at the Presidio. 
Durino; that time he found some business of his 
own to attend to which he had not foreseen. The 
commander had a charming daughter. Dona Maria. 
When St. Denis had once looked into the bewitch- 

65 



66 HlSrORY OF LOUISIANA 

ing dark eyes of the Spanish maiden, he knew she 
had entered his hfe not to leave it, and Dona 
Maria's heart told her she could never forget her 
gallant young lover. 

But St. Denis had a duty to perform for his 
fellow-colonists; so after a few weeks of love and 
happiness he bade Dona Maria good-by and jour- 
neyed on to the city of Mexico to fulfill that duty. 

The viceroy received him coldly and told him 
that he had wasted his time in coming. The vice- 
roy ended the interview by throwing St. Denis into 
prison. He had been confined in the dark dungeon 
about three months, when one day as he v^as deject- 
edly thinking of the gloom which had overshadowed 
him and of the many things which make life so 
sweet, the door opened and an officer, whose duty it 
was to inspect the prisons, entered. 

As it little mattered to the poor prisoner who 
passed in and out of his cell, he did not look up. 
The officer, after one piercing glance, recognized 
St. Denis as an old friend and classmate in France, 
despite the fact that St. Denis, from long confine- 
ment, had grown thin and shabby. The officer, 
though a Frenchman, had entered the service of 
Spaiuo Remembering that he and St. Denis were 
boys together, he asked the viceroy to release his 
friendo The request was granted. The viceroy did 
even more ; he invited St. Denis to dine with him 
in his elegant palace. The palace was a more 



ST. DENIS 67 

beautiful place than St. Denis had ever so much as 
imaeined. The dishes, vases, and even furniture 
were made of exquisitely carved silver. The viceroy 
was so pleased with St. Denis and his delightful con- 
versation that he offered the young man the com- 
mand of a company of cavalry. 

The viceroy told St. Denis that he had heard of 
his love affair, and gave his word that the marriage 
should take place if his offer were accepted. " Now," 
said the viceroy, " I shall give you two months to 
think over my proposition. You will meet here 
many French officers in the service of Spain, who 
are very well pleased with it." At the end of the 
two months St. Denis went to the viceroy and 
told him he could not desert his king and country. 
The viceroy was a good man, after all. " Then," 
said he, as, smiling, he opened the doors of a large 
cabinet, " here is a bag of gold for the expenses of 
the wedding." 

The next morning a handsome bay horse was 
brought to St. Denis's door. Gladly he mounted the 
beautiful animal, which bore him with the speed of 
the wind to Dona Maria, whom he now could marry. 

When St. Denis reached Louisiana, Crozat was 
bitterly disappointed at the result of his undertaking. 
About this time, however, other things occurred that 
troubled Crozat as much as St. Denis's failure. 
The Natchez Indians were one of the most power- 
ful tribes, and it was necessary to keep their friend- 



68 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



ship. Previous to this time these Indians had 
shown friendHness toward the Frencli, but Cadillac 
had offended them. This is how it happened. The 
Natchez Indians had offered the calumet to him, 
but a son of the Cadillacs would not condescend to 
touch his lips to a pipe that an Indian had smoked; 
so Cadillac refused to smoke with them. 



.^^^. 






IM^l 




A Calumet 



The Natchez took this as a declaration of war and 
beg^an robbino; and murderinp; Frenchmen whenever 
they came across one. Owing to their influence 
upon other tribes, the hostility of the Natchez had 
to be stopped at once. 

Bienville was sent against them, with a force of 
only thirty-five men. Bienville had such confidence 
in his knowledge of Indian character that he hoped 
that, through strategy, he might be able even with 
his small force to manage the tribe. He camped on 
an island not far below the Natchez, fortified it, and 
then sent word that he had come to trade. 

A few days later three Natchez braves visited 
him and offered him the calumet. Bienville turned 



ST. DENIS 69 

aside his head, and said that the Natchez were not 
treating him with respect, for he was the great chief 
of the French, and could smoke only with their 
great chief, the Sun, or one of his brothers or a 
little Sun. The messengers, however, were kindly 
treated, and when they went back, Bienville sent 
one of his men along bearing an invitation for the 
Sun to visit him. 

One morning the French saw four canoes sweep- 
ing toward the island. It was the Natchez coming 
to visit them. The chiefs, decked out in all their 
savage splendor, were seated under parasols, while 
twelve of their servants were swimmino- alonorside 
the boats like water dogs. 

Bienville ordered one half of his men to keep 
armed and hidden in one of the houses, and the 
other half he ordered to meet their guests, help 
them ashore, and, as an act of politeness, to relieve 
them of their weapons. The Indians came on 
shore dancing and singing the peace song. They 
offered the calumet to Bienville, who, instead of 
taking it, sternly demanded what they were going 
to offer in return for the Frenchmen they had 
murdered. They did not know what to say, as 
they were not aware that he had heard of the 
murders. They were anxious to make friends with 
Bienville, however, so they brought to him the 
heads of all the murderers except one, who was 
not to be found. 



70 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

They then gave Bienville land upon which to 
build a fort. Bienville erected the fort and named it 
Rosalie in honor of the Countess of Pontchartrain. 

When Bienville got back to the French settle- 
ment, he found that Cadillac had been removed, 
and that he had been given the command of the 
colony until the arrival of another governor. The 
new governor, De TEpinay, soon came. He brought 
to Bienville a present from the king of France, a 
cross of the order of St. Louis to be worn as a 
reward for faithful services. 

Bienville was not to be pacified with a trinket. 
He now no longer tried to hide his feelings. The 
colonists openly took sides with him or the new 
governor, and quarreled disgracefully. 
/ Crozat had been in the colony five years. The 
struc^ole had been too much for him, and had to come 
to an end. He found it took more than the shrewd- 
ness of a business man to build up a colony. There- 
fore, in the year 171 7, he asked to be released from 
his bargain. His request was willingly granted by 
those in power at the court of France, for there 
had appeared in France another man eager to rent 
the big farm, Louisiana. 

Questions. — i. Why could not the Louisiana colonists trade 
with the Spaniards in Mexico? (See page 63.) 

2. How did Crozat attempt to establish trade with Mexico? 

3. Tell what you know of Bienville's doings while Crozat held 
Louisiana,. 17 12-1717. (See page 62.) 



CHAPTER XII 

JOHN LAW 

The man who thought he could make millions 
out of Louisiana was John Law, a Scotchman. He 
was not good and steady, like most of the people of 
Scotland. He gambled and spent all the money 
his father left him. Then he went to London, where 
he acted worse than he had done in Scotland. He 
murdered a man and had to flee from Eno^land. 

The next time we hear of Law he is in Europe, 
going around to the different courts reading to the 
kings little books he had written on trade, and trying 
to get them to let him show them how to make 
much money in a little while. The kings were all 
afraid of the handsome, smooth-tongued rascal, and 
would have nothing to do with him. All this time 
Law kept at his old trade of gambling, and gambled 
so well that at last when he drifted into Paris he had 
his pockets full of money. 

King Louis XIV of France had died while Crozat 
was in Louisiana. He was succeeded on the throne 
by his grandson, Louis XV. As the new king was 
only six years old, his uncle, the Duke of Orleans, 
governed France until young Louis grew to be a 
man. Old King Louis had left France in a bad 

71 



72 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 




state. For long years he had carried on wars which 
cost the country milHons of dollars. The soldiers 
had not been paid, and there were many others to 
whom France owed money. As if these debts were 
not enough for the country to pay, King Louis 

had built beautiful palaces 
and furnished them with 
costly furniture, mirrors, and 
paintings, without paying for 
any of these things. The 
people had been taxed, until 
many of them were home- 
less and starving, and there 
was no hope of getting more 
money out of them. Since 
the king had not used it to pay his debts, where was 
the money .'^ What had become of it.? It was 
found that dishonest men had been stealinor the 
government's money. Yet, somehow all the debts 
had to be paid. 

It was at the time when the Duke of Orleans and 
his ministers were nearly distracted over these money 
matters, not knowing which way to turn, that John 
Law went to Paris. He told them he could save 
the country, and that France would be richer than 
she had ever been, if they would listen to him. It 
was a sad day for France when the Duke of Orleans 
met John Law, for the duke had more imagination 
than common sense. He allowed Law to start a 



John Law 



JOHN LAW 73 

bank. At first the bank seemed to be a great suc- 
cess, and because it seemed to turn out well, Law 
was listened to when he told the king and his min- 
isters how a company backed by the government 
would be able to make in Louisiana a great deal 
of money for itself and for France. It appeared 
reasonable that a company, especially with such a 
money-making genius as Law at the head of it, 
could do more than just one man like Crozat had 
done. Therefore, in 171 7, the duke gave a charter 
to a company to control Louisiana. The company 
was named the Company of the West, but it was 
usually called the Mississippi Company. John Law 
was made chief director. 

Some wise men shook their heads and thought 

o 

that the duke and his ministers were foolish to allow 
themselves to be led into such an undertaking ; but 
the duke thought he saw in the scheme a fine chance 
to help both France and Louisiana. The same terri- 
tory was granted to the company by the new charter 
that was granted to Crozat, and the rights and privi- 
leges were about the same; the main difference being 
that instead of one man selfishly vvorkingfor his own 
gain, a company was now doing so. As a return 
for getting the charter, the company promised to 
build churches, send over priests, and import six 
thousand white people and three thousand negroes. 
The company set itself to advertising Louisiana. 
To let people know of this wonderful land across the 



74 HlSrORY OF LOUISIANA 

sea, Law scattered tli rough France thousands of 
little books telling about Louisiana, Ihe people 
read in open-eyed wonder of that far-away country 
where it was said that spring was everlasting ; that 
all the year round fruits and vegetables were ripen- 
ing, flowers blooming, birds singing, and fish of every 
kind swimming in crystal streams. As they read 
about the Indians, who, though five hundred years 
old, could hunt and fight just as well as the young 
warriors, they imagined it must be delightful to live 
where people did not grow old. How quick their 
hearts beat and how bright their eyes grew as they 
read that it was a common thing for the Indians to 
Qfive bio; lumps of Qrold in exchano-e for a strino; of 
beads or a pocket knife. And as for silver ! It was 
so plentiful that the streets might be paved with 
the metal ! And when these charmins: books told 
of a wild flower growing on the banks of the Mis- 
sissippi, whose rosy cups caught the dew which was 
hardened by the morning sun into glittering gems, 
the story went to their heads like strong wine. 

They wished to go to this land where there was to 
be no more work and no more poverty. Louisiana 
was upon every lip, and Louisiana gold the people 
believed was to open the way to Paradise. The lord 
in his castle, the poor man in his hut, the cook in 
the kitchen, business men, and women of fashion, 
rushed to the ofifice of the Mississippi Company to 
buy shares of the company's stock. 



JOHN LAW 75 

All this excitement was just what the company 
wanted. It was the best way to get people to go to 
Louisiana. The company gave land and provisions 
free to poor people who would go. Large tracts of 
land were given to rich nobles because it was be- 
lieved that they would take more interest in getting 
the land settled and worked if they owned it. Law 
himself took thousands of acres on the Arkansas 
River and sent over Swiss and German families. 

Now, while a great many went to Louisiana, a 
great many more changed their minds when the 
time came to sail. This did not please Law, for 
the first step in his plan was to get the country 
peopled. Therefore, he decided that if people would 
not go willingly, they must be made to go. In- 
mates of jails and poorhouses were taken. Men went 
up and down the streets and seized poor, frightened 
men and women, whom they hurried to the seashore, 
and put aboard ships. The Mississippi Company 
had made up its mind to succeed, and the govern- 
ment determined to help all in its power. 

Questions. — i. What was done with Louisiana after Crozat 
gave up his lease? 

2. Who was John Law? 

3. Tell about the Mississippi Company : 
(i) Its organization. 

(2) Its advertisements of Louisiana. 

(3) The people who were sent to Louisiana. 



CHAPTER XIII 

THE FOUNDING OF NEW ORLEANS 

The ships loaded with Law's immigrants reached 
Dauphin Island in 1718. The miserable creatures 
were landed upon the island, and then the ships 
turned around and sailed back to France for more. 

The directors of the company knew that at such a 
time as this Bienville was the only man in the colony 
who had the brain to see what was the best thing to 
do and the nerve to take hold with a strong hand. 
They knew, too, that he could be depended upon to 
do what he thought was right. So he was again 
put in command. Bienville was not now a boy who 
lauQ-hed and sano- to show the Indians how brave 
he was. He had been in the colony nineteen years, 
and was an earnest, sober man, and had learned 
much from all those years of experience. 

Dauphin Island was a beautiful place, with its 
banks of shining white sand stretching out to the 
dimpling waves, but it would have been hard to pick 
out a worse spot for people who had to earn their 
daily bread. In the first place, there were not nearly 
enough houses for all these people to live in; and 
then no crops could be raised, as vegetables and corn 
would not o;row on such sandv soil. 

76 



FOUNDING OF NEW ORLEANS 77 

Bienville saw that the first thing to do was to 
move the colonists to some place where they could 
go to work and make a living. Ever since he was 
a boy he had wanted to start a colony on the Mis- 
sissippi. He knew the land was rich and that good 
crops could be raised there. Now the chance had 
come for which he had waited nearly twenty years, 
and he made up his mind to get these people to the 
Mississippi. He took fifty men and went across to 
the river. As a site for a town, he chose a spot 
upon which he had had his heart fixed for a long 
time. 

This story is told of an adventure that happened 
to Bienville. When he and his workmen got to the 
place he had selected for his town, no one was in 
sight except an old squaw, who was sitting on a log 
under a big oak covered with moss, and was shaking 
from side to side and crooning to herself. As Bien- 
ville came up, she pointed her long, skinny finger at 
him and said that the Great Spirit told her that 
her death hour would come when palefaces came 
to cut down the trees under which she had lived a 
hundred years. " The Spirit tells me," she chanted, 
" the time will come when between the river and 
the lake there will be as many houses of the white 
man as there are trees now." 

No spirit had been whispering to Bienville, but 
his good judgment told him that the spot he chose 
was a fine site for a town. It was on a great river 



78 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



which flowed through one of the richest countries in 
the world ; on one side it could be reached from the 
Gulf by ships coming up the river, and on the other 
by boats passing through bayous and lakes. He 

felt that the place where 
nature had done so much 
must some day be a large 
city. Moreover, Bienville 
knew that the French 
must settle on the Mis- 
sissippi River if they ex- 
])ected to control Louisi- 
ana. Firm in his belief, 
Bienville went to work 
cutting down trees, dig- 
ging up cypress-knees and 
palmetto bushes, and 
cleaning away all the un- 
derbrush. Barracks were 

THK DUKK OK ORLEANS ^^^^^^ ^^^.j^_ BicUville 

named his little town New Orleans for the Duke of 
Orleans. Thus was laid the foundation of the pres- 
ent great city in the year 1718. 

The Mississippi Company made a change in the 
government of the colony which pleased Bienville 
very much. When Crozat was in Louisiana, there 
had been a superior council made up of the gov- 
ernor, Crozat, and a few men interested in his 
welfare; but now the company set up also inferior 




FOUNDING OF NEW ORLEANS 79 

councils in different parts of the province. Leading 
men were allowed to become members of the inferior 
councils. It seemed as if the people were going to 
be given a chance to take part in the government of 
the colony. 

Bienville thought that at last France had waked 
up and was taking the right way to make Louisiana 
prosper. But he did not understand what was going 
on in France, and was to be again disappointed. 
The company still had the strange idea that the 
most important thing was to send people, no matter 
what kind of people, to Louisiana. Shipload after 
shipload came over. One day, when eight hundred 
immigrants came, Bienville was almost ready to give 
up. What should he do with all these people ? He 
did not have enough boats to take the newcomers 
to the lands that had been given them, and before his 
carpenters could build more boats, the immigrants 
woufd eat up the food which was to last them until 
they could get to work and take care of themselves. 
Bienville sent as many as he could to Bay St. Louis, 
Biloxi, and Mobile. 

The greatest trouble Bienville had was with the 
colonists themselves. It would have been easier 
for him to help them to help themselves if they had 
been people of pluck and perseverance ; if they had 
been like colonists elsewhere, who had come to 
America to worship God in their own way and to 
make their own laws because they were not allowed 



8o HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

to do so at home. It is true that there were among 
tlie immigrants some worthy people who afterwards 
became useful citizens, but most of them were pau- 
pers, beggars, and convicts, with little sense and no 
character, who idly sat down and looked to Bienville 
to feed them. Hundreds died of disease and starva- 
tion, yet ships kept coming with more of the un- 
fortunate creatures. 





New Orleans in 1719 

Frotn an old print 

One thing at least could be done. The capital of 
the province could be changed. Its location at 
Mobile was very inconvenient. The water in the 
harbor was so shallow that big ships could not come 
near the shore. The freight had to be unloaded 
into a boat, carried a certain distance, then, as the 
water grew shallower, put into a smaller boat, then 
into a still smaller boat ; and finally carts had to 
come out to the last little boat. Bienville thought 
that New Orleans was the best place for the new 
capital, but the directors said that the old fort on 



FOUNDING OF NEW ORLEANS 8i 

Biloxi Bay was a better place ; so the capital was 
moved there. One day a drunken man dropped his 
lighted pipe, and the new capital took fire and 
burned down. Again the question came up as to 
where the next capital should be, and again Bien- 
ville pleaded for New Orleans; but the council 
chose the place where the present town of Biloxi 
stands. 

The members of the council objected to New 
Orleans for the capital because, they said, big ships 
could not go through the passes, but Bienville proved 
they were wrong by taking a ship through himself. 
He sent Pauger, one of the engineers, to make a 
map of the passes to be sent to France, and then be- 
gan to lay out the streets of New Orleans. 

Questions. — i. What important thing did Bienville do when 
he was made governor again in 1718? 

2. Tell something of the man for whom New Orleans was 
named. (See page 71.) 

3. What are some of the advantages of the site of the city? 

4. In what year was New Orleans founded? 

5. What part did the colonists have in the government at this 
period ? 

6. Why were the settlers sent by the Mississippi Company a 
misfortune for the colony? 



CHAPTER XIV 

THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE NEW ORLEANS, THE 

CAPITAL 

If things were going badly in Louisiana, they 
were no better in France. People had lost faith in 
John Law. His bank had failed, and they had at 
last found that his plan to make money out of Louisi- 
ana was a grand swindle. Thousands of people had 
lost all their money and wanted to take revenge on 
Law. The parliament of Paris sent for him to see 
whether he could give any reason for breaking the 
laws and swindling people. Its members had a 
strong notion to put him to death at once. Law had 
an idea that they had something of this kind in their 
minds, and fled from France as fast as a carriage and 
four horses could take him. The failure of Law's 
grand scheme is known in history as "The Missis- 
sippi Bubble." 

Whisperings kept coming across the sea of the 
wretchedness of the colonists in Louisiana, and 
stories spread through France of that fearful land 
where so many Frenchmen were finding their 
graves. When neighbors met each other, they no 
longer talked of Louisiana as a fairyland. They 

82 



THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE 



S3 



now spoke of it as a land of liorror, where the burn- 
ing sun, beating down on marshes and swamps, 
made it so unhealthy that white people in a little 
while got sallow and wrinkled and shrank until 




Faiiurk (IK Law's Bank 



they were no bigger than dwarfs ; and no one there 
ever lived to be old. The Mississippi, they said, 
overflowed its banks at certain times of the year, 
and, until it went down, the settlers had to stay up 



84 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

in the trees like monkeys, and live on raw fish and 
berries ; people were kept awake at night by the 
sting of mosquitoes and the howling of hungry 
wolves ; and the swamps were full of frogs, so big 
that they could swallow little children whole. 

However, in spite of silly stories told by ignorant 
people, and in spite of Law's failure, the colony in 
Louisiana had made a start and was growing, though 
slowly. Most of the worthless creatures who had 
lived through the horrors of Dauphin, Island had 
either died since or drifted among the Indians. The 
government had put out too much money to let the 
colony go to ruin, and had at last found that most 
of the people sent over were not the kind to build 
churches and schools and to make o'ood laws and 
homes where boys and girls would grow^ up to be 
useful men and women. Bienville kept writing 
that industrious people should be sent to Louisiana, 
as there was profit in farming if the right kind of 
people came with enough money to buy land and 
get started. Some excellent people began to settle 
on plantations near New Orleans and in Pointe 
Coupee, and to buy negroes to work their crops of 
indigo, rice, and tobacco. After Law's failure the 
Germans on his settlement came so near starving 
that they started back to Europe. On the way they 
stopped at New Orleans. As they were thrifty 
farmers, land was given them below the city, so that 
instead of going back to Germany they remained 



THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE 85 

and planted truck farms. Every Friday afternoon 
these farmers paddled up the river with their vege- 
tables, butter, eggs, and chickens, and the next morn- 
ing spread them in the market for sale. 

The French again tried to trade with the Span- 
iards, but had to give it up. La Harpe, whom Bien- 
ville stationed at the Natchitoches, claimed for 
France the country as far as Matagorda Bay, on the 
coast of Texas, — La Salle's settlement, — but Spain 
claimed it too. Neither country could settle Texas, 
so at this time no more was said about the owner- 
ship. Jealousy between the two nations prevented 
trading. 

When the French minister saw Pauger's map and 
read what Bienville had written about the country, 
he became convinced that Bienville was right in 
'saying that New Orleans should be the capital. 
Therefore, in 1722, the capital was removed to New 
Orleans. 

Shortly afterward the province was divided into 
nine districts, with a commander for each district. 
It took France a longtime to learn that her colonies 
could not prosper unless she gave them more free- 
dom. She ruled Louisiana by her laws and would 
not let the colony trade except in the way that suited 
her, which was often a very bad way for the colony. 

But the king of France must not get all the blame 
because the colony did not prosper. The colonists 
also were at fault. In order to make their settlement 



86 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

grow and flourish, they should have worked together, 
but they did not do this. Bienville and the direc- 
tors quarreled, and again the settlers took one side 
or the other. While they were pulling in different 
directions and fighting out their own wrongs, they 
were losing their hold on the Indians. A band of 
Natchez Indians killed two or three Frenchmen. 
Bienville got the chiefs together, and they made 
promises to keep the peace, but the Indians knew 
they had not been conquered. 

Bienville's enemies wrote to France that it was his 
fault that the colony did not thrive. Among other 
things, they charged him with keeping his friends 
and kinsfolk about him and doing everything to favor 
them. The government ordered Bienville to come 
to France and answer for himself. His brother, 
Chateauguay, and all his kinsfolk and friends were 
put out of office, and for the first time since the 
French came to Louisiana no kin of Bienville had 
anything to do with the management of the colony. 

Before Bienville left, he helped to make laws for 
the negroes, called the Black Code. A few of the 
laws in the Black Code were: negroes should be 
taught about God; they should have Sunday for 
themselves; they must be well clothed and well fed; 
if old and sick, they must be taken care of; and ne- 
groes and white people must not intermarry. This 
was the last public paper which Bienville signed 
before he left Louisiana. 



THE MISSISSIPPI BUBBLE 87 

When he reached France, he sent a paper to the 
king's minister. In this paper he said that he and 
his brother Iberville had started the colony in Loui- 
siana, that he had worked for it twenty-seven years, 
and that if it had not been for him, the colony 
would have died. La Harpe also wrote a letter to 
the minister, stating that Bienville had been treated 
unjustly. He said that Bienville had certainly not 
made money out of the colony, which was more than 
his enemies could say. As a report was started in 
the colony that the Indians did not like Bienville 
and were glad he had gone, his nephew, De Noyan, 
asked the superior council to have some of the tribes 
called together to see what they would say. All the 
Indians declared they liked Bienville and were sorry 
he had gone away. 

Questions. — i. What was the " Mississippi Bubble " ? 

2. Tell how New Orleans came to be made the capital of the 
province of Louisiana. (See pages 80-81.) 

3. What do you think of the charges that were made against 
Bienville ? 

4. What reasons can you give that the colony had not pros- 
pered ? 

5. What was the Black Code? 



■z^^ 



Law's Autograth 



CHAPTER XV 

TIIK UKSULINE NUNS TIIP: CASKET GIRLS 

The man appointed to succeed Bienville as gov- 
ernor of Louisiana was named Perier. The company 
did not think it a i/ood idea to o-ive one man all the 
power, so it was divided between Perier and De la 
Chaise, the commissary. It was Governor Perier's 
duty to see that the laws were obeyed, and he was 
also to have command of the army. I )e la Chaise 
was to have under his care everything that related 
to trade, and he was to look after the police, and 
sec that the laws were good. In order to avoid 
jealousy and quarreling, Governor Perier and I)e 
la Chaise were given to understand that each was to 
attend to his own business and let the other alone. 

For two years all went well. P^rom time to time 
immigrants came over, who were not of the worth- 
less class, but were the best kind of people. It had 
at last become understood in T^ ranee that Louisiana 
was not a place where one could run about picking 
up gold ; nor was it a place so horrible that human 
beings could not live. The b'rench now knew that 
in the growing colony a man had a first-rate chance 
to make money, and many good men came over. 

88 



Tin-: URSULIiNK NUNS — THK CASKKT (URLS 89 

The great drawback, however, was that so few 
women came to Louisiana. In the twenty-seven 
years that the colony had been struggHng, many 
women had, of course, come over. Officers had 
brought their wives and so had many of the immi- 
grants. You will remember tliat a few young women 
were sent over to be married. Yet there were not 
enough women for all the men to have wives. This 
was not good for the colony. Bienville had from the 
first felt that the only way to make the men good 
citizens was to give them homes and wives and 
children to work for. This is why he kej^t writing 
to the company, "Send me wives for my Canadians." 

One of the priests said it might be well for the 
men to marry Indian girls who had become Chris- 
tians. This was tried, but did ]iot work at all. 
Some Indians were once taken to Paris, and among 
them was a pretty young girl. The ladies of the 
king's court petted her and decked her out in fine 
clothes and jewels, and an officer, Dubois, fell in love 
with her. After she was christened in the church, 
Dubois married her. There was a big wedding, 
and the court ladies gave her beautiful presents ; 
even the king gave her a present, which was a liigh 
honor. He also made her husband captain of the 
Illinois district when he should go back to Loui 
siana. After the young couple got back to their new 
home, the Indian bride soon tired of her pretty 
things and sighed for the wild life of the merry 



90 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



greenwood. She visited her tribe more and more. 
Her relatives and friends finally persuaded her to 
betray the French. One day she led the warriors 
of her tribe to the fort, and the whole garrison was 
massacred, even her husband. After the horrible 








Old Ursuline Convent 



affair, the men felt that an Indian wife was no 
more to be trusted than a pet tiger. 

The best act the company performed while Perier 
was governor was to get six Ursuline nuns to come 
to New Orleans to teach the daughters of the col- 
onists and to help the company find good girls to 
marry the young men. The sisters came over in 
1727 and were given land with negroes to work it. 
While their house was building, they lived in Bien- 
ville's home. They soon had a good number of 
pupils, and a schoolhouse was put up as quickly as 
possible. One of the sisters, Madeleine Hachard, 



THE URSULINE NUNS — THE CASKET GIRLS 91 

wrote pleasant letters to her father about the new 
land to which they had come. She seemed surprised 
to find the Louisianians so civilized. Bienville's 
house, she wrote, was the finest in the town. It had 
two stories and large windows ; and in the windows 
was fine white linen instead of glass, which. Sister 
Madeleine said, let in almost as much light as glass. 

New Orleans, Sister Madeleine wrote, was a 
handsome, well-built town, and she could hardly be- 
lieve she was in Louisiana, for there was as much 
" magnificence and politeness " in New Orleans as 
in France. The ladies dressed in velvet and silk, 
and painted their cheeks and knew how to make 
themselves look very pretty. But, Sister Madeleine 
added, they did not know much about religion. 
Then she told of the good things for the table the 
New Orleans people were enjoying in those days. 
They drank cafe an /ait 2.nd chocolate every day, and 
had venison, beef, geese, chickens, ducks, partridges, 
vegetables, fruit, and many kinds of fish. 

Jesuit brothers came to New Orleans about the 
same time as the Ursuline nuns. Land was given 
them also, and they set it out in myrtle-wax trees. 
This was before the day of gas and electric lights, 
and the priests sold at a good price their myrtle 
wax for candles. 

The year after the sisters came to New Orleans, 
the company sent over a party of girls. They had 
been selected for their good character, and all had 



92 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

come of their own free will. They were called les 
filles a la cassette — casket girls. This name was 
given because each had a little box. What do you 
think was in those boxes } Their pretty wedding 
clothes ! The Ursuline sisters took these girls to 
their own home. The girls were to choose their 
husbands, but were not to marry any one the sisters 
thought unworthy of them. You see how times 
had changed. The casket girls were not to marry 
just anybody and eat parched corn and live in log 
houses. They had chaperones and better food than 
they had in France, and lived in pretty cottages. 
They soon found husbands and made good wives. 

The first improvement Governor Perier made was 
to build a levee in front of New Orleans. He en- 
couraged the people to farm, and nearly three 
thousand negroes were brought into the colony to 
work the plantations. Fig and orange trees were 
planted, and when good crops of rice, indigo, and 
tobacco w^ere raised, land began to be worth a good 
deal. The company put a tax of one cent on every 
acre, and this money was used to build churches 
and hospitals. 

Questions. — i. What were some of the good results of the 
coming of the UrsuHne mins? 

2. Tell about the casket girls. 

3. Tell something of life in New Orleans in 1727. 

4. What crops were raised in the colony ? 

5. Why was a levee needed in front of New Orleans ? 



CHAPTER XVI 

THE NATCHEZ MASSACRE 

When Bienville made his last treaty with the 
Natchez Indians, the}^ were in earnest and wanted 
to be friends of the F'rench ; but they were treated 
unjustly. Fort Rosalie was under the command of 
an oflficer named Chepart, who was an overbearing 
man and who never considered the rights of others. 
He imposed outrageously upon the Indians. You 
will remember that the big Sun of the Natchez lived 
on a high mound, with his subjects in villages below. 
One of the most beautiful of these villages was called 
the White Apple. Chepart wanted it for a plan- 
tation. Sendino- for the Sun, he told him that the 
Indians must move away, and build themselves a 
village somewhere else. The old Sun answered, 
"Surely my white brother does not speak in earnest ? " 
He told Chepart that the Natchez had lived there 
more years than there were hairs on his head ; that 
in the temple of the White Apple had rested the 
bones of their forefathers since they had first come 
to live on the banks of the Feather of Waters ; that 
they wanted to live at peace with the French and 
would give up other lands ; but that they could 

93 



94 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

never give up the village of the White Apple. 
Chepart replied that he must have the village. 

The Sun turned sorrowfully away, saying he 
would talk with the wise men of his nation about 
it. When the Suns met and learned what Chepart 
had' said, they were silent with sorrow and anger. 
The chief of the White Apple rose. " Children of 
the Sun," he said, " will not the French soon drive 
us out of the other villages .f* What will become of 
the tombs of our ancestors, and the cradles of our 
children? The whitefaces will run their plow^s over 
the bones of our dead and put their cattle in our 
temples. We can destroy them all if we act with 
courage and skill." 

The chiefs sat silent for a long time. Only the 
tight lips and the fierce light in their eyes showed 
the anger in their hearts. Before the council broke 
up, the Natchez chiefs had sworn to rid themselves 
forever of the hated white race. They sent mes- 
sengers to the Chickasaws, Yazoos, and other tribes 
to learn whether they would join them in an attack 
upon Fort Rosalie. These tribes were ready to do 
so. The following plan was agreed upon for the at- 
tack. Each tribe was to put in its temple a bundle 
of sticks, each bundle containing the same number 
of sticks. Every morning after the new moon each 
tribe was to take out one of its sticks and burn it, 
and the day when the last stick was burned, an at- 
tack was to be made on the French. 



THE NATCHEZ MASSACRE 



95 



The Indians agreed that none of their women 
shouW be let into the plan, for no woman could keep 
a secret. The Great Sun then went to Chepart and 
told him that the Indians would move as soon as they 
chose another spot upon which to build a village. 
The women of the White Apple wondered what 
was going on. They were very curious to know 
why the chiefs held a secret meeting, and why mes- 
sengers were sent to the other tribes. 

The mother of one of the chiefs thought she had 
not been treated with respect, because the men 
would tell her nothing about what was going on. 
One day she asked her son to go with her to the 
Corn village to see a sick friend. When they got 
into the thick part of the woods, she sat down on a 
log and told her son that she had always loved him, 
and, until now, he had trusted her. " Why," she 
said, " are messengers sent to the other nations ? " 
The chief replied that the tribes were making a 
stronger treaty with the French. The old mother 
flashed her black eyes at him, but did not say any- 
thing for a long time. Finally she exclaimed: "No, 
my son, there is a secret, and you do not trust your 
mother. I have trained you to tell the truth, and 
you lie to me." Tears came into the eyes of the 
young chief, for he loved his mother. Unable to 
resist her influence, he told her everything about the 
plot. 

Bras Pique — for that was the old squaw's name 



96 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

— liked the French and determined to warn them. 
At the same time she did not wish any harm to 
come to her own people. She thought that, if the 
French were warned, they would strengthen their 
fort, and that then the Natchez would not make the 
attack. Therefore, she sent a message to Chepart^ 
by a French officer, telling him what the Natchez 
were going to do. But Chepart. who was a very 
proud man, laughed and said that the Indians were 
only trying to frighten him and that he was not 
going to give up the plan to seize the White Apple 
village. 

Since the French commander would not heed her 
warning, Bras Pique tried another scheme. She 
slipped into the temple and burned one of the sticks 
before the time agreed upon. This, of course, made 
the record of time wrong and caused the Natchez 
to attack the fort one day earlier than the time set 
with the other tribes. Early one morning, in the 
autumn of 1729, the Natchez arose and, pretending 
that they were going hunting, went to the house of 
every Frenchman for miles around, and got all the 
guns, powder, and shot they could Ipeg or borrow. 

At eight o'clock in the morning a party of Nat- 
chez Indians appeared at Fort Rosalie with corn, 
furs, and oil for Chepart. While the French 
commander was looking at the wares spread out 
before him, other Indians were creeping into the 
fort. Before any one dreamed of danger, a signal 



THE NATCHEZ MASSACRE 97 

for attack was given. Each warrior picked his man, 
and so suddenly did the attack occur that it seemed 
as if all the soldiers in the fort were killed at one 
time. Such a contempt was felt for Chepart that 
no one would shoot him. He ran into his garden, 
and one of the lowest among the Natchez was sent 
to beat him to death. 

While the French were being so horribly butch- 
ered, the Great Sun sat quietly smoking his pipe. 
He ordered the heads of all the victims to be brought 
to him. The women, children, and negroes were 
not killed, but were held as prisoners. The lives of 
two men were also spared — one a wagoner, who was 
needed to take the property of the French to the 
village of the Indians ; and the other a tailor, who 
was to make over the clothes of the French to fit 
the Indians. Two French soldiers who happened 
to be in the woods at the time of the massacre es- 
caped, and managed to get to New Orleans, where 
they told Governor Perier the terrible news. 

Questions. — i. Tell about the beginning of the hostility of 
the Natchez Indians toward the French colonists. (See pages 
67-69, 85.) 

2. Tell of the building of Fort Rosalie. (See page 70.) 

3. What action of the French commander led to the Ii\dian 
attack on Fort Rosalie ? 

4. Describe the Indians' plan for reckoning the date on which 
the fort was to be attacked. 



CHAPTER XVII 

DEFEAT OF THE NATCHEZ 

The Natchez massacre was fearful enough in 
itself, but the tale grew more horrible as it spread 
from one end of the colony to the other. It was 
rumored that the massacre was only a beginning, 
and that the Indians all over the country were going 
to band together and not stop fighting until the last 
one of the white race was killed. To add to the 
terror, it was believed that the negroes would help 
the Indians by killing their owners on the lonely 
plantations. Never before were there so many 
anxious hearts in Louisiana. A ship was sent to 
France for soldiers and firearms, but as it was a 
great distance across the Atlantic Ocean and as 
there were only sailing vessels in those days, it 
would be a long time before help could come from 
the mother country. 

Fortunately for the French the 'Choctaw Indians 
remained faithful. Le Sueur, a French officer, with 
seven hundred of the Choctaws, came upon the 
Natchez Indians while they were having a big feast 
and rejoicing over their victory. He killed sixty of 
the warriors and rescued some of the white women 

98 



DEFEAT OF THE NATCHEZ * 99 

and children who had been captured at Fort RosaUe. 
The poor prisoners were found huddled together, 
trembling with fear and expecting to be scalped 
at any moment. Soldiers were sent from New 
Orleans to follow Le Sueur and give him help, but 
before they could reach the scene, the Natchez had 
sought shelter in two strong houses of the White 
Apple village. The cannon of the French were not 
of much account, but the soldiers kept on firing, and 
the Natchez briskly sent back shot for shot. 

The French, seeing that they were not doing 
much damage to the Indians, thought they would 
put an end to the battle by sending a man with a 
flag of truce to demand the surrender of the Natchez. 
But the Natchez did not look at the matter in the 
.same way that the French did. Give up ? Not the 
heroic Natchez ! There was too much at stake. 
Why should they give up to- the greedy white men 
what was theirs and their fathers before them ? 
They opened fire on the man with the flag of truce, 
and he threw down the flag and ran. 

The Choctaws scornfully said that if their white 
allies could not fight better, they would go home. 
The French really had not fought as hard as they 
might have done, for they were afraid of killing the 
women and children who were still held prisoners 
by the Natchez. They could no longer think of the 
poor prisoners now, for if the Choctaws left them, 
the battle was surely lost. So they gave the Natchez 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



to understand they were going to fight in earnest. 
This made the Natchez uneasy, and they sent word 
that they wanted to talk with the French. 

One of the Choctaw chiefs thought there had 
been too much talking already and not enough 

fighting. He went 
out before the fort 
and made a speech. 
He told the Nat- 
chez that they were 
only a handful 
compared with the 
Choctaws, and that 
if they did not give 
up the rest of the 
white women and 
children and the 
negroes to the 
French, the Choc- 
taws would sur- 
round their forts and starve them to death. The 
Natchez said they would give up the prisoners if 
the French would retire to the banks of the river. 
The French agreed to the bargain, but no sooner 
were they out of sight, than the Indians slipped 
away. They left behind, however, the white 
prisoners, who were taken care of by the soldiers. 
Governor Perier joined the army, and the retreat- 
ing Natchez were followed. Tlicy were found in 




A Choctaw Ball-player 



DEFEAT OF THE NATCHEZ loi 

what is now Catahoula Parish. There the brave 
Natchez took their last stand and held the French 
at bay for nine months. At last they offered to 
make peace. Governor Perier said that the chiefs 
must come and have a talk with him about peace. 
The Great Sun and several of the Little Suns, 
therefore, went to the French camp. Soon it began 
to rain. Governor Perier invited his visitors into an 
old cabin. As soon as they went into the cabin, the 
chiefs found that they had walked into a trap. The 
house was surrounded by armed men, and in order 
to save their lives, the chiefs had to promise that 
the whole tribe would surrender. It rained all the 
next day, and the Indians — about four hundred 
women and children and forty-five warriors — came 
straggling into the French camp. 

A stormy night set in, and in the darkness some 
of the Natchez, who were unwilling to surrender, — 
the last of a brave people, — stole away and joined 
the Chickasaws. Governor Perier ordered the 
Chickasaws to give up the Natchez, but the Chicka- 
saws refused, saying that they would never give 
up anybody who had come to them for protection. 
The army was not strong enough at the time to 
force them to do so. 

When the army reached New Orleans, Governor 
Perier sent the Indians who had surrendered to him 
to the West Indies, where they were sold as slaves. 

The shielding of the Natchez by the Chickasaws, 



I02 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

on the one hand, and the treachery of the governor 
in selling his Indian prisoners into slavery on the 
other, could lead to but one thing — war between 
the colony and the Chickasaws. 

The company all this time was looking on with 
anxious eyes. * The Natchez war had cost a great 
deal of money ; a war with the Chickasaws would 
cost as much more. People would not settle in or 
trade with a country engaged in war; therefore the 
company did not see how any money could be 
made out of Louisiana. In 1731, in despair, it gave 
up its charter, and Louisiana was handed back to 
Louis XV, Thus Louisiana became a royal 
province. The king did not wish to have this bur- 
densome property on his hands, but he knew that 
if he did not take care of it, England would seize it. 

The first thing to be done was to settle with the 
Chickasaws for protecting the Natchez. Wlio was 
the man to do it } Perier had shown that he could 
not deal with Indians. Could a new man do any 
better? In this trying hour all turned to Bienville, 
who had remained in France. The king appointed 
him the first royal governor of Louisiana. 

Questions. — i. Who were the allies of the French against 
the Natchez? 

2. How did the war against the Natchez end? 

3. How did the Chickasaws come into the war? 

4. How did the lease of Louisiana to the Mississippi Company 
end ? 



CHAPTER XVIII 

BIENVILLE, THE FIRST ROYAL GOVERNOR 

The ships that bore Bienville back to Louisiana 
stopped at San Domingo in the West Indies, and 
there he saw some of his old friends among the 
Natchez. The proud chiefs, who had once ruled 
like kings, were slaves working in the fields under 
the eye of an overseer. The Great Sun told Bien- 
ville that he was very sorry the massacre had taken 
place, but that Chepart was to blame for it, because 
he had acted so unjustly that the Indians could no 
longer stand his cruelty. 

Bienville knew that the chief spoke the truth. 
He also knew that the colony would never be safe 
again until the Chickasavvs were either made to 
give up the Natchez or were driven out of the 
country. When he reached Louisiana, he began 
to get ready to march against the Chickasaws. His 
plan was to go up the Tombigbee River and attack 
the Chickasaws in their own country — now the 
northern part of Alabama and Mississippi. He 
sent word to the Chevalier D'Artaguette, a brother 
of Diron D'Artaguette and the commander in the 
Illinois country, to join him. Bienville could not 



I04 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

get ready to start at the time first set, so he sent 
a second messenger to D'Artaguette, fixing another 
date for their meeting. 

When Bienville and his army reached the Chicka- 
saw country, he found the Chickasaw villages front- 
ing a wide, green prairie. Back of them were the 
smaller villages of the Natchez. Bienville wanted 
to attack the Natchez first, as they were the cause 
of the war, but his old allies, the Choctaws, would 
not agree to this. They had gone into this war 
only for what they could get out of it, and the 
Chickasaws, who were their old enemies, had a 
large supply of provisions. They therefore urged 
Bienville to attack the Chickasaws first. Bienville 
was uncertain what to do. D'Artaguette had not 
come, and if the Choctaws left him, he would be 
in a bad way. Against his judgment and because 
the Choctaws continued to urge it, Bienville sent his 
nephew, De Noyan, to begin the fight against the 
Chickasaws. 

De Noyan made a gallant charge, but when he 
looked back, he saw that only the oi^cers and a few 
men were following him. Most of the soldiers had 
hidden behind cabins, and the Choctaws were some 
distance away, dancing and yelling. Bienville tried 
to get his soldiers and the Indians to fight, but 
when he saw that nothing could be done with 
them, he ordered a retreat. Bienville, carrying his 
wounded with him, retired to New Orleans. 



BIENVILLE, THE FIRST ROYAL GOVERNOR 105 

Some weeks later, one of D'Artaguette's men, 
whom the Chickasaws had made prisoner, escaped 
and came to New Orleans. He told Bienville 
the sad fate of the brave young commander. 
D'Artaguette did not q-et Bienville's second mes- 
sao-e chano-ingr the time of meetin^r, and he reached 
the place where he and Bienville were to meet 
four days before Bienville arrived. He looked anx- 
iously for the French troops, and begged his 
Indian allies to wait. They, like the Choctaws, 
got impatient, and said they would leave if he did 
not attack the Chickasaws at once. He and his 
officers thought that the best thino- for them to do 
was to make the attack without waiting longer for 
Bienville. The men fought courageously. The 
victory was almost won when about five hundred 
Indians, led by Englishmen, rushed from behind 
a hill with such fury that the French gave way. 
D'Artaguette fell wounded. His men rushed up 
to get him, but were beaten back. He and most 
of the other prisoners were then tied to posts and 
burned to death by slow fires. They all met death 
like heroes. One died singing a death song like 
the Indians. 

The whole colony mourned the awful fate of the 
brave men, and no one sorrowed more than Bien- 
ville. Diron D'Artaguette, who had always been 
Bienville's friend, became his bitter enemy, for he 
blamed Bienville for the death of his young brother 



io6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

The kinor thought the war had not been well man- 
aged, and he also blamed Bienville. The noble, 
patient Bienville answered that he could not fight 
without men. The Indians, he complained, no one 
could depend upon, and the men sent from France 
were not trained soldiers from the French army, 
but worthless tramps. He said that more than half 
of them had been whipped for stealing since they 
had come into the colony. 

Bienville felt that he must regain the confidence 
of the king and the colonists, and that the only 
way to do so was to conquer the Chickasaws and 
Natchez. The English were busy supplying the 
Indians with guns, and were winning over even 
the French allies with presents. Bienville sent to 
Canada for men whom he knew would stand by 
him, and urged the French government to send him 
trained soldiers. The minister of war sent to Bien- 
ville seven hundred men, guns, cannon, ammunition, 
provisions, money ; in fact, everything he had asked 
for. 

It seemed as if Bienville was at last to be in a 
position to accomplish something. But he was 
again to be disappointed. The minister wrote that 
the king had -also sent over Sieur de Noailles, who 
had the experience and the talent to command, and 
his Majesty wished him to take command of all the 
troops, not only those sent from France, but also 
those raised in the colony by Bienville. After all 



BIENVILLE,. THE FIRST ROYAL GOVERNOR 107 

these preparations, another was to have the command 
over him! Do you wonder that Bienville lost heart? 

Another attack upon the Chickasaws was planned 
in 1739. The expedition was a failure. The French 
did not get near enough to the Indians to fight, and 
came back with only a patched-up peace with the 
Chickasaws. Thousands of dollars had been wasted, 
and many a poor soldier had lost his life from swamp 
fever. 

Though De Noailles was in command, yet Bien- 
ville got just as much of the blame. Discouraged 
and hopeless, he felt he could no longer be useful 
in Louisiana, and asked to be relieved of the 
governorship. While waiting for the king's order, 
he still worked for his beloved colony. You will 
remember that the Ursuline sisters had started a 
school for girls. But there was no school in Louisi- 
ana for boys. Bienville tried to get the king to 
give him money to build a school for the boys, but 
the kino- refused. 

Bienville had come to Louisiana in 1699, ^ boy 
strong in the joy and hope of young manhood ; he 
left it forever in 1743, a hopeless old man. Forty- 
four of the best years of his life were given to Loui- 
siana. He took charge of the colony when it was 
feeble . and struggling; he saved it from Indian 
massacre ; and he nourished it into strong life. 
When the colony was able to stand alone, the work 
was taken from him, and other hands finished it. 



io8 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

There is a parish in the State and a street in 
New Orleans named for him. Is this enough ? 
Do you think the Louisianians have shown grati- 
tude to Bienville ? New Orleans, the city he 
founded, should have a park named for him, and in 
the center of the park should be a statue of Bienville, 
the father of Louisiana. 

Questions. — i. What was done with Louisiana after the Mis- 
sissippi Company gave it up? 

2. What were two important events of Bienville's term as royal 
governor ? 

3. What was the outcome of his first war against the Chicka- 
saws? The second war? 

4. What part did the English take in these wars? 

5. Make a summary of what you have learned about Bienville, 
the "father of Louisiana." 



CHAPTER XIX 

MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL 

The king selected the Marquis de Vaudreuil to 
take Bienville's place as governor. The colonists 
loved Bienville and were sorry to see him go away, 
but they could not but be proud of the high honor 
the king had shown them. A marquis ! How much 
King Louis must' value Louisiana to send one of 
the great nobles to govern her! The family of the 
great marquis had influence at court, and the colo- 
nists thought a man so rich and noble would never 
have come to the far-away province unless the king 
had promised to help him in the work. Surely, they 
thought, there must be better days in store for 
Louisiana. 

As time passed, the high opinion of the marquis 
did not grow less. He was nicknamed the Grand 
Marquis, so charming and so elegant were his man- 
ners. De Vaudreuil loved show and pleasure, and 
the government house looked like a small court with 
its brilliantly lighted ballroom, where beautiful 
ladies in court dresses of silk and satin danced with 
high-born officers. The gay little city » of New 
Orleans was in a whirl. Louisianians continued to 

109 



no HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

tell of the dinner parties and magnificent balls long 
after the Grand Marquis was dead. 

Several stories about the marquis show that his 
fine manners came from a kind heart. One of his 
officers wrote something against his character to the 
minister of marine. The minister sent the letter to 
De Vaudreuil. On one occasion, not long after, the 
officer was pretending to be one of De Vaudreuil's 
best friends. De Vaudreuil quietly asked, " Have 
you forgotten what you said in your letter about 
me.?" "Against you, General, and from me! I 
swear nothing could be more false ! " replied the 
officer. De Vaudreuil then told him to be careful 
what he said, or the letter would be shown him. 
The officer was afraid he would be disgraced. He 
looked down, but said nothing. De Vaudreuil did 
not punish him, and never spoke of the letter again 
to any one. 

Another story runs that once a piece of De 
Vaudreuil's costly silver was missing. He sent for 
the negro who took care of the dining room. The 
negro was so frightened that he shook from head to 
foot. His master smiled and said to the man who 
had charge of his wines, " Get a bottle of my best 
wine and give to this poor fellow to cure him of his 
fright." 

This kind of governor is delightful, but the pros- 
perity of a country does not depend upon the pleasant 
manners of the governor and his dinner parties and 



MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL 



III 



brilliant balls. There must be in a ruler somethinar 
more than the power to dazzle and amuse people. 

De Vaudreuil had a fair chance to make the col- 
ony prosper. After forty-four years of struggle the 
colony had at last taken root. Thrifty colonists 
had found that a living could be made in Louisiana, 
There were seven or eight 
sawmills around New Or- 
leans, and all were doing 
a good business. The col- 
ony was exporting a little 
cotton, pitch, tar, tobacco, 
sugar-cane, salt, and furs. 
The Jesuits above the city 
had begun to raise sugar- 
cane. 

Bienville had tried to get 







Marquis dk Vaudreuil 



settlers to come over from 
San Domingo, but at that time there were so many 
quarrels in the colony that they could not be per- 
suaded to come. Under De Vaudreuil, things 
promised to be different. He was a nev/ man ; 
he had no favorites; and it seemed as if all would 
work together for the good of the colony. Then 
settlers from San Domingo were persuaded to come 
over. 

De Vaudreuil started out well by causing levees 
to be built on the river. He had noticed that the 
planters seemed to be playing a game with the old 



112 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Mississippi. If there was no overflow, the planters 
won and made a great deal of money and had a 
good time spending it. If there was an overflow, 
which happened too often, the crops were buried 
under the yellow waters. Then the planters lost 
heavily, and money was scarce all over the country. 
De Vaudreuil had a law passed that property 
owners along the river must build levees, and if 
they did not, their plantations would be taken from 
them. 

Another good law provided that every year a cer- 
tain number of soldiers who had been faithful to 
their duty should be discharged from the army if 
they would promise to build homes and marry. 
The promise was not hard to keep, for about this 
time the king sent to Louisiana sixty black-eyed 
girls. These maids had heard how well the casket 
girls had done, and they wanted pretty homes with 
flower gardens for themselves. The king was very 
kind to this last group of girls, for when one found 
a husband, he set the young couple up in house- 
keeping. He gave them land, an ox, a cow and a 
calf, a rooster and five hens, a gun, and a hoe. In 
addition, seed and rations were furnished them free 
for three years. 

Yet the colony did not prosper. The chief cause 
was that the people were not allowed to govern 
themselves, and the laws France made for them 
were not always good. No country can grow with- 



MARQUIS DE VAUDREUIL 113 

out trade, and no trading can be done unless the 
value of money is so fixed that it does not change. 
The king would not allow any silver or gold money 
in the colony, but sent over paper notes. Sometimes 
these notes would be worth a great deal, and then 
again almost nothing. With the value of money 
changing so often, people were afraid to buy, for 
when they came to sell, the notes might be worth so 
little that they would lose. 

But a greater evil than paper notes was the habit 
the colonists had fallen into of accusing one another 
of stealing. De Vaudreuil accused the intendant of 
selling the presents brought over for the Indians and 
the provisions for the soldiers, and keeping the money. 
The intendant, not to be outdone, said there had 
been no such thing as law in the colony since De 
Vaudreuil had come into it; that the superior coun- 
cil decided any case to suit the governor, and that 
the government was run by his petted soldiers, who 
insulted the people. The intendant further said 
that the governor was selling the flour sent to the 
soldiers and was giving them corn instead, and that 
his wife alone was permitted to sell medicines to the 
colonists. So much was written on each side that 
no one can now get at the truth, but we may be 
sure that there was a good deal of stealing in Loui- 
siana in those days. One thing was certain: the 
colony had gone backward under the Grand Mar- 
quis. 



114 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

In the whole of Louisiana there were now only 
about three thousand white persons. When the 
Mississippi Company gave up its charter, the white 
population numbered five thousand. 

Finally, in 1753, as war between France and Eng- 
land was threatening, De Vaudreuil was ordered 
to Canada, so that he might help the Canadians 
fight the English colonists in America. M. de 
Kerlerec was sent out to govern Louisiana. 

Questions. — i. Tell something of the character of the Marquis 
de Vaudreuil. 

2. Tell what you can of industries in the colony — farming, 
manufacturing, commerce. 

3. Where were the laws for Louisiana made? Was this satis- 
factory? Why? 

4. What form of money was used in the colony? What were 
the results? 

5. What was the white population of the Louisiana province 
in 1731 ? In 1750? 








De Vaudreuil's Autograph 



CHAPTER XX 

THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 

Louisiana in those days included an area that 
now forms a large part of the United States, for it 
stretched from the Rocky Mountains to the Alle- 
ghany Mountains, and from the Gulf to the Great 
Lakes. In order to understand better the history 
of Louisiana, you must now learn a little of United 
States history. From the time that La Salle began 
his search for the Mississippi, in 1678, to the time 
that De Vaudreuil was sent to Canada, in 1753, the 
French had been jealously watching the English 
who had settled on the Atlantic coast of North 
America. During that time there had been several 
wars between France and England, and the conflict 
had extended to the French and Ensrlish colonies in 
America. Most of the fighting in America had 
occurred in Canada. 

You remember the French explorers, La Salle, 
Iberville, and Bienville, all had the same plan of 
building trading posts around the Great Lakes and 
down the Mississippi. Their idea w^as to make of 
these trading posts forts which would shut in and 
guard the French possessions against the English. 
Later, as the French in Canada began to come south 

us 



ii6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

and the English on the Atlantic coast of America 
began to spread out towards the west, the French 
built forts from Lake Erie through the western part 
of Pennsylvania. This brought the French to the 
Ohio River. Now with forts around the Great 
Lakes, down the Mississippi, and on the Ohio 
River from Pennsylvania to the Mississippi, with 
New Orleans to guard the mouth of the Mississippi, 
and Mobile to control the Gulf, France felt that 
Louisiana was protected. (See map on page 25.) 

But without any reason that the French could 
understand, England claimed the Ohio Valley and 
the right to build trading posts along the Ohio. 
Nothing could keep the restless English colonists 
from moving westward across the Alleghany Moun- 
tains to the rich fields of the Ohio Valley. 

In those days, when two great nations laid claim 
to the same territory, the only way to settle the 
dispute was to fight it out. So, in 1754, France 
and England began to fight for the ownership of 
the Ohio V^ alley. France had the advantage at the 
start, for she had occupied the country for a long 
time and had built a strong chain of forts. But 
France made two mistakes. She did not know the 
worth of Louisiana, and instead of putting forth all 
of her energy to save that immense country to the 
French crown, she used her money and most of her 
skillful soldiers to fight other countries of Europe. 
Then she did not realize how the English colonists 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 117. 

had grown in number and strength, or how their love 
for England would make them fight against France. 

Neither France nor England could foresee that 
the land for which they were fighting would be 
settled some day by millions of people. Neither 
country could realize that the great question to be 
decided by this war was whether these millions 
should be an English-speaking people governed by 
English law, or a people with the language and 
laws of France. 

At the beginning of the war it seemed as if the 
French would win, but a change came w^hen the 
English government put a great statesman, William 
Pitt, in charge of her affairs. Pitt sent to America 
money and the most able officers and skillful soldiers 
in England. From that time the English were 
victorious. The war had begun in western Penn- 
sylvania and had moved up through western and 
northern New York into Canada. The last great 
batde w^as fought at Quebec in 1759. Here the 
tw^o most brilliant officers of the war, Montcalm, the 
French general, and Wolfe, the English general, 
were killed. Upon the death of Montcalm, the 
French at Quebec laid dowMi their arms, and soon 
afterward the Grand Marquis, De Vaudreuil, sur- 
rendered at Montreal. This put an end to the war 
as far as America was concerned, though France 
and England continued to fight for some time 
longer in other parts of the world. Spain helped 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



France in the conflict. The war is known in Amer- 
ica as the French and Indian War. 

In 1763 commissioners from Spain, P'rance, and 




Bi:i-ORE riiK Kkknch and Indian War 

England met at Paris to agree upon terms of peace. 
In deciding what territory should belong to each of 
these nations, England of course got the biggest 
share. France gave up to England Canada and 
all the country east of the Mississippi, except the 



THE FRENCH' AND INDL\N WAR 



119 



city of New Orleans and the island of Orleans, 
which was a piece of land east of the Mississippi 
between Manchac and the Lakes. France also gave 




After thr French and Indian War 

to England the right to use the Mississippi River. 
During the war England had captured Havana, 
Cuba, from the Spaniards. By the treaty of peace 
Havana was returned to Spain, and in exchange 
England secured Florida. 



I20 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Now let US see what was going on in lower Loui- 
siana, while the war was in progress and these great 
changes were taking place. Even a statesman could 
have done little for the colony in those unquiet 
times, and M. de Kerlerec was no statesman. He 
was a blunt old sea captain, who had been in the 
navy twenty-five years. He knew the sea and how 
to manage sailors, but knew as little about governing 
a colony as he did about dancing the minuet with 
court beauties. 

The first act of Kerlerec was to call the Indians 
together to make treaties with the chiefs. The In- 
dians did not show much eagerness to be friendly 
with the French. They knew that a war was going 
on in the north between the French and the English, 
and that the French were being beaten. They saw 
that Kerlerec had no money, and they thought it 
would pay them better to be friendly with the Eng- 
lish. The Indians told Kerlerec that they liked 
the French better, but that the English gave them 
more, and if the French wanted their friendship, they 
must give them as much as the English gave. As 
Kerlerec could not do so, the Indians would now and 
then murder some lonely traveler or attack families 
living on the plantations. 

Most of the soldiers had been sent from the colony 
to fight the English in Canada. Kerlerec begged 
France to send more troops to protect the colony, 
but he asked that Swiss and not French soldiers be 



THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR 121 

sent. The French, he said, were worse than none, 
for they stole and did such outrageous acts that 
the people were afraid of them. It would be hard 
to tell where France found the soldiers that she 
sent to Louisiana. You remember that Bienville 
said the soldiers sent him were cowardly; Perier 
made the same complaint; and now Kerlerec asked 
that French soldiers be not sent at all. 

Kerlerec was an earnest, upright man, but he was 
not suited to hold the governorship in such stormy 
times. Added to his other troul^les, the French 
from the forts in the north that had surrendered to 
the English were coming into Louisiana, and he 
had all he could do to keep them from starving. 

The colonists were again quarreling. This time 
everybody quarreled. Finally Kerlerec, whom the 
French government blamed for all the trouble, was 
recalled and thrown into the Bastile, the biggest and 
gloomiest old prison in France. 

Questions. — i. State the location of the Enghsh colonies in 
America in 1750. 

2. What territory did France own? 

3. What territory did Spain own? 

4. How did the French protect their territory? 

5. What was the immediate cause of war in 1754? 

6. Where did the fighting mostly take place? 

7. How did the war end? 

8. After the treaty of peace of 1 763, what territory in America 
did England own? 



CHAPTER XXI 

LOUISIANA CEDED TO SPAIN 

Those were gloomy days for Louisiana. If the 
Louisianians had known what their mother country 
had done, they would have felt even gloomier. At 
the close of the war France knew that England 
would seize Louisiana unless it were protected. But 
to have it well protected meant to keep a standing 
army in the province and ships in the Gulf of Mexico 
hovering about the coast. This would cost a great 
deal of money, and France had none to spare for 
such a purpose. 

At the time when France was surrendering to 
England Canada and her other possessions east of 
the Mississippi, her troubled thoughts were full of 
the Louisiana colony. What should be done with 
this heavy burden } Crozat had staggered and 
fallen under it ; so had the Company of the West ; 
and France felt that she could not carry it any 
longer. 

Now, the king of Spain had suffered loss by help- 
ing France in the war, for he had to give up Florida 
to England. He felt resentful about it. To soothe 
the Spanish king for the loss, and at the same time 



LOUISIANA CEDED TO SPAIN 123 

to rid himself of a weight, the French king gave 
Louisiana to Spain. The gift was secretly made on 
the same day on which the three countries, France, 
England, and Spain, signed the treaty of peace. 
Poor Louisiana ! A failure from the start, and now 
tossed as a trifling gift from one monarch to an- 
other ! 

As the transfer of Louisiana from France to Spain 
was secretly made, the Louisianians did not know 
for a whole year that they had been given away. In 
the meantime, however, they were sad and uneasy, 
for they saw that the colony was neglected. Only 
three hundred soldiers had been left in Louisiana. 
No new governor had been sent over; but D'Abadie, 
who had come to New Orleans just before Kerlerec 
had sailed for France, was put in charge and was 
called Director General. 

Other changes which hurt their pride as French- 
men were taking place, and made them feel that the 
power of France was dead in the land which her 
colonists had struggled so long to hold for her. The 
English were not backward in claiming their own, 
and as they took command of the country surren- 
dered by the French, the disbanded French troops 
came straggling into New Orleans. They came 
from the forts in the Illinois, Natchez, Yazoo, and 
Baton RouQ-e districts. 

The new names given to the forts by the English 
reminded the Louisianians that the old order of things 



124 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

was passing away. Fort Manchac took the name of 
Fort Bute; Fort Conde became Fort Charlotte. In 
Florida, also, as the Spaniards left the country, Eng- 
lish names took the place of the old Spanish names. 
French families from the districts moved into New 
Orleans, and several small Indian tribes that had re- 
mained faithful to the French drew near the city. 
The French in Louisiana were drawing close to- 
gether, and the English were closing in about them. 
France seemed to have forsaken her colony. What 
was going to happen, the Louisianians asked them- 
selves. The worst surely had come when France 
gave up the territory which Iberville, Bienville, 
and their hardy Canadians had won for her. 

There was one bright spot in the gloom. Eng- 
lish vessels, under the pretense of taking supplies to 
the English forts, went up and down the Mississippi. 
They were in reality trading vessels. Inside of the 
boats, running the whole length, were shelves filled 
with goods of every kind. As the vessels moved 
slowly along the Mississippi, people from the plan- 
tations hailed them and went to the banks of the 
river to buy from the pleasant clerks who praised 
their wares and jingled their money boxes, 

A short distance above New Orleans, at a place 
called Little Manchac, the vessels stopped and 
tied up to a tree. Mow the merchants and citizens 
flocked there to buy ! It was against the law for 
the Louisianians to trade with the English, but 



LOUISIANA CEDED TO SPAIN 125 

every one seemed to forget this. The long war had 
brought trading to a standstill in Louisiana, and the 
people had gone without almost everything all those 
years. The government officers not only did not 
attempt to enforce the law, but they, too, joined 
the shopping parties that went gayly up to Little 
Manchac, where anything might be bought, from 
bandannas for the head of the old mammy to silks 
and laces to set off the beauty of the young mistress. 

At last, in 1764, a ship came from France bring- 
ing to D'Abadie a letter, signed by no less a person 
than the king himself. The letter was an official 
notice that Louisiana had been given to Spain, and 
ordered D'Abadie to turn over the province to the 
Spanish officer who would be sent to receive it. 
The very winds seemed to spread the dreadful 
tidings. To be given away ! The proud Louisia- 
nians could not and would not believe it. If by the 
treaty of 1763 they had passed with the rest of their 
country and countrymen under the power of Eng- 
land, they could have better endured it, since it was 
the custom of nations for the conquered territory 
and its people to pass into the hands of the con- 
queror. But for a brave people to be handed over 
from one owner to another like a flock of sheep 
or a gang of negroes ! France had, indeed, been 
faithless. 

While the Louisianians were hoping and half 
believing that the news could not be true, a band 



126 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

of exiles from Acadia, which we now call Nova 
Scotia, in Canada, came to New Orleans. The 
Acadians were of their own race. As the Louisi- 
anians listened to the sad story of the wanderings 
of the Acadians, they thought that the same fate 
might some day come to them. Gloom and despair 
were in their hearts as they thought of their own 
future. 

Questions. — i. What was done with the Louisiana province 
in 1763, at the close of the French and Indian War? 

2. State what territory in America was now owned by Spain; 
by France. 

3. How did England's success in the war affect New Orleans 
and the neighboring territory? 

4. When and how did the Louisiana colonists learn of their 
transfer to Spain? 



CHAPTER XXII 

THE ACADIANS 

Many writers have told about the Acadians, but 
the story that will please you most is the one told by 
an old Acadian grandmother to her little grandson. 

Acadia was a part of Canada, and is now known 
as Nova Scotia. All through Acadia, the grand- 
mother said, there were little settlements of French 
people. The place where she lived was called St. 
Gabriel. The people were all kin to each other and 
lived like one big family. The Acadians were a 
happy, industrious people. They were not rich, but 
they had thrifty gardens, plenty of chickens, fine 
cattle, and enough money to live comfortably. 

These people lived on in peace and quiet for gen- 
eration after generation. They disliked .changes ; 
so they followed the customs and religion of their 
fathers before them. One of the old-time customs 
was that when a young couple were about to be 
married, the whole settlement helped to start them 
in life. The men built them a little home, plowed 
their land and planted it. The women fitted up the 
house from the front room to the kitchen. They 
gave furniture from their own homes, wove bright 

127 



128 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

carpets, and made quilts and tablecloths enough to 
last for years. They placed dishes in the closet and 
polished pots and pans on the kitchen shelves. 
When the bride walked into her new home, every- 
thing was ready for her. 

People in those days did not get the news so 
quickly as they do now. Ships did not come often 
from France, and months would pass without the 
Acadians knowing what was happening in the outside 
world. One morning at church the old curate of 
St. Gabriel told them a war was going on between 
France and Enijland. From time to time came 
reports of the war. At last came the terrifying 
news that English soldiers had landed on the coast 
of Acadia, and were burning the villages and forc- 
ing the Acadians upon ships which carried them to 
far-away countries. 

The old curate of St. Gabriel was like a father to 
his people. He had been with them in their joys 
and in their sorrows, and they now turned to him to 
tell them ^ what to do. He and the older men of the 
settlement thought it best to leave Acadia and go 
to Louisiana, where they knew people of their own 
race had settled. 

The Eno;lish were marchino; toward them so fast 
that on the very day the inhabitants of St. Gabriel 
decided to leave their town, they found that they 
had better flee before night came. All the cattle 
were killed, and every house in the village was set 



THE ACADIANS 



129 



on fire. At sundown three hundred Acadians set 
out on their journey. They looked back on their 
burning houses and thought sadly that in a little 
while the pretty village of St. Gabriel would be a 
pile of ashes. 

As darkness fell about them, the air grew chilly, 




A View in Acadia 



and mothers held their little ones close to give them 
warmth from their bodies. Suddenly all stopped. 
Then hearts tightened with dread. Through the 
still night came sounds of a drum and marching 
men. A few steps ahead a company of English 
soldiers faced them. " Acadians," said the com- 
mander, stepping forward, " you are traitors! But 
the king of England offers j^ardon to all who will 



I30 



HISrORY OF LOUISIANA 



swear allegiance to him." "Sir," answered the 
Acadian leader, "our king is the king of France." 
Then he told the officer that he and his friends were 
going to Louisiana. The officers gave a scornful 
laugh, and said they should have a free passage to 
Louisiana in one of the ships of the English king. 




The Exile of the Acadians 

The Acadians were disarmed and taken to the 
seashore, where they were forced on the ships. 
Husbands were separated from their wives, children 
torn from their mothers' arms, and lovers parted 
from each other. On shipboard the Acadians had 
miserable places in which to sleep, very little to eat, 
and hardly enough water to keep them alive. 

After a long voyage the ships landed on a strange 



THE ACADIANS 131 

shore. The Acadians asked if they had reached 
Louisiana. The EngHsh only laughed and sailed 
away. Now, what was to become of the poor Aca- 
dians } It was night, and they were without money 
and friends in a strange land. 

But fortunately aid came to them. The next 
morning two gentlemen on horseback rode up and 
told the Acadians that they had come to welcome 
them to Maryland. The gentlemen said that they 
had estates large enough to support all the Aca- 
dians and they invited them to settle there. 

The Acadians lived three years in Maryland and 
prospered. While there, they learned that many 
other refugees from Acadia had reached Louisiana. 
Hoping to find among these refugees their relatives 
and friends, they set out for Louisiana. After many 
months of weary travel, they arrived at New Orleans. 
The good people of that city helped them to reach 
the Teche country, where the other Acadians had 
settled. Many were the happy meetings between 
relatives and friends who had been parted. A brave 
people who had given up so much for their king had 
at last found a home. 

Some day you will read Longfellow's poem called 
" Evangeline." This is about an Acadian girl who 
is parted from her lover, and she comes to the Teche 
country looking for him. She searches for him 
many years and does not find him until they are 
both old and he is dying. 



132 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

The descendants of the Acadians Hving on Bayou 
Teche tell the story this way. When the Acadians 
were driven from their country, two lovers, Emme- 
linc la Biche and Louis Arceneaux, were put on 
different ships, Emmeline was with the Acadians 
who first went to Maryland. She had been a gay, 
light-hearted girl in Acadia, but she was saddened 
by the separation from her lover. In spite of her 
sadness she was so sw^eet and gentle that she was 
no lonorer called Emmeline, but Evanoreline, which 
means God's little angel. When the Acadians 
landed on the banks of the Teche, the first person 
Evangeline saw was Louis standing under an oak. 
She ran joyfully up to him, but he turned sorrow- 
fully away and told her to forget him, for he was 
married. Evangeline neither spoke nor moved. 
Her beautiful brown eyes widened, and all intelli- 
gence went out of them forever. Thousrh her mind 
was gone, her manner became even sweeter and 
gentler. But the shock was so great that she did 
not live long afterwards. She was buried on the 
bank of the Teche, under a large oak which has 
always been known as Evangeline's oak. 

Questions. — i. How did the transfer of Canada to England 
affect some of tbe French people in Canada? 

2. Why did the Acadian exiles wish to go to Louisiana? 

3. Tell the story of Evangeline. 



CHAPTER XXIII 

DON ANTONIO DE ULLOA 

When we last spoke of matters in Louisiana, 
D'Abadie was in command. He did not live long. 
Aubry, who was captain of the troops, took D'Aba- 
die's place until some word should come from 
Spain. The first outbreak of grief and anger over 
the cession of Louisiana to Spain had passed. 
The colonists were now calm enough to form some 
plan of action. The king, as they thought, did not 
understand the situation. He did not know the 
worth of Louisiana, and he surely must doubt the 
loyalty of the Louisianians. There was some mis- 
take, they said, and it must be righted. 

A meeting was held at New Orleans, at which 
leading men from the city and all the parishes were 
present. Lafreniere, the attorney-general, who was 
an elegant-looking man and a fine speaker, opened 
the meeting. Lafreniere's father had come from 
Canada as a follower of Bienville, and had handed 
down to his son a deep love for Louisiana. La- 
freniere made a soul-stirring speech. When it was 
finished, it was agreed that Jean Milhet should go to 
Paris and state their cause to the kinof. 

When Milhet reached Paris, he first went to see 

133 



134 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Bienville to get his help. Bienville was now an old 
man with long white hair; but though he was old, 
Bienville was just as true to Louisiana as when he 
was young. It grieved him to think that his be- 
loved colony was to pass into the hands of Spain, 
and he gladly agreed to help the colonists. 

In those times the Louisianians did not read in 
one day's paper what had happened the day before. 
They got news only when French ships came, and 
this was not very often. A simple-hearted people 
in a far-away province, they did not know the life 
led by the wicked Louis XV. They did not know 
that the government was run by men who stole from 
the people and trampled on their rights. If they 
had known these things, they would not have sent 
Milhet to France. 

Milhet soon found that he would never be able to 
see the king. It was only after a long time that he 
succeeded in meeting the king's minister, the Due de 
Choiseul. Every day after that Milhet and Bienville 
went to see Choiseul, and each day he met them 
with smiles and bows and promises, but did nothing. 
A whole year passed and Milhet's petition had not 
been read by the king, though his minister still 
bowed and smiled and promised. Little did Milhet 
or Bienville know that the Due de Choiseul was the 
man who had caused Louisiana to be given to 
Spain, and had determined in his false heart that the 
Louisianians should never see the king. 



DON ANTONIO DE ULLOA 135 

As the colonists did not hear from Milhet, they 
became more hopeful, but suddenly there came news 
which killed all hope. The Superior Council re- 
ceived a letter from Don Antonio de Ulloa, a 
Spanish ofificer, saying that he was coming to take 
possession of Louisiana for the Spanish government. 
When Ulloa reached New Orleans in 1766, Aubry 
went out to his vessel to meet him. Aubry also 
had the French troops drawn up on the levee, and 
a salute fired. A few of the colonists were seen 
straggling about with sullen faces. 

Later Ulloa was received respectfully by the 
citizens, though their hearts did not warm toward 
the Spaniard. Ulloa was a small, thin man, and 
stern and cold in his manner toward the colonists. 
He had been used to having the men under his com- 
mand obey him without question, and he expected 
the Louisianians to do the same. He was not a man 
who could adapt himself to other people, and he 
made no effort to win the kind feeling of the discon- 
tented colonists, into whose hearts the spirit of free- 
dom had begun to enter. On the contrary, he 
showed a contempt for them, and would associate 
with no one but Aubry, who, eager to keep his posi- 
tion, was always at the beck and call of Ulloa. 

The Superior Council asked Ulloa to show the 
letters from his government giving him the right to 
take command in Louisiana. He refused. Up to 
this time the colonists had only disliked Ulloa; now 



136 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 




they did not trust him. They could not understand 
what manner of man he was. He would not show 
his letters, and he allowed the French flag to float 
over New Orleans, as if the country was still under 
the government of France ; yet he acted as if he 
had the right to govern. He visited the parishes 

and examined the 
forts, took the census 
of New Orleans, and 
gave Aubry money to 
pay the French sol- 
diers. 

Ulloa told Aubry 
in secret that he 
would take posses- 
sion of Louisiana in 
the name of Spain when he secured more troops. 
He had brought with him only a small force of 
Spaniards, as he had expected the French troops to 
join him. They, however, had refused. 

As Ulloa took upon himself more and more the 
duties of a governor, the business men feared he 
would make laws which would ruin their trade, for 
they knew that unjust laws had killed all the trade 
in other Spanish colonies. Their fears soon came 
true. Ulloa ordered that no vessel should enter 
the port without letting him know how much her 
cargo was worth ; that all vessels must be built 
by Spaniards and owned by Spaniards ; that trade 



Old Creole Cottage 



DON ANTONIO DE ULLOA 137 

should be carried on only with certain ports in 
Spain. The merchants of Louisiana had been car- 
rying on a flourishing trade with Mexico and the 
West Indies, and Ulloa's orders meant the break- 
ing up of this trade. Ulloa could not have struck 
Louisiana a harder blow. Think what it would 
mean to the Louisiana of to-day if she were cut off 
from trading with other countries! It meant just 
as much to the Louisiana of that day. It would 
mean ruin to us ; and it meant ruin to them. 

At the request of merchants and shipbuilders, 
the Superior Council sent a petition to Ulloa ask- 
ing him to do nothing until he had heard them 
speak in their own behalf. Ulloa answered that 
he would wait until he got more " support " from 
his government. By this he meant more soldiers. 
Matters were in this unsettled condition when Ulloa 
disappeared. 

Questions. — i. How did the colonists protest against the 
transfer to Spain? 

2. How did Bienville in his old age try to help Louisiana? 

3. How did Ulloa begin his government of Louisiana? 

4. Why did the Louisianians distrust Ulloa? 



CHAPTER XXIV 

"the revolution of 1768" 

Ulloa was a very learned man. He had written 
several books, and had found out valuable things 
about metals. Once, when watching an eclipse of 
the sun, he discovered a brilliant spot on the moon. 
After deep thought he assured himself that this spot 
was a hole. Now, when Ulloa left New Orleans so 
suddenly, the question was asked. Where had he 
gone ? Did he leave that he might be able to con- 
tinue quietly his scientific studies ? 

Those who were curious to know his whereabouts 
watched Aubry, and found out that Ulloa was at 
the Balize, at the mouth of the Mississippi, and that 
Aubry went back and forth, keeping Ulloa posted 
as to what was going on in the colony. Weeks 
and months passed, and Ulloa did not come back. 

But it was no question of science which had 
taken the Spanish scholar to the Balize. Don 
Antonio de Ulloa was in love. He had gone to 
the Balize to be married to the Duchess d'Abrado. 
The duchess kept her lover — fifty-one years old — 
patiently waiting for his bride seven months amid 
the swamps and mosquitoes. They were married 
at the Balize by Ulloa's chaplain. 

138 



"THE REVOLUTION OF 1768" 



139 




Don Antonio de Ulloa 



The women of New Orleans looked forward with 
pleasure to the coming of the governor's wife. This 
first lady of the land was young and beautiful, and 
the Creole belles of the capital city dreamed of de- 
lightful balls and gay little sup- 
pers to be given at the govern- 
ment house. They were to be 
disappointed. The duchess was 
not the gentle, tactful woman 
needed to soften the feeling be- 
tween Ulloa and the Louisiani- 
ans. She was more proud and 
haughty than her husband had 
been. She would not associate 
with the women of New Orleans, 
not even with those who were refined, educated, and 
of gentle birth. She would not deign to sit in the 
same church with them. Her only companions 
were two Indian girls whom she had brought with 
her from Peru. 

At last Milhet came back from France. The 
Louisianians saw now that no help was to be ex- 
pected from France. They also saw that their 
liberty was in danger. Lafreniere, the two Milhets, 
and Doucet called a meeting in New Orleans, in 
1768. This was a meeting of the people, and every 
parish sent delegates. The object of the meeting 
was to bring before all the people of the province 
the outrages Ulloa had committed. The Superior 



I40 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Council was the highest court in Louisiana, yet 
Ulloa paid no attention to it. He set the law aside, 
and governed according to his own will, backed by 
his soldiers. Yet, he could not be made to show 
the document to prove that Louisiana had become 
a Spanish colony, and he allowed the French flag 
to remain floating over the province. 

Lafreniere, addressing the meeting, said that a 
people could be happy only when protected by law ; 
that the safety of a people was not in the will of one 
man, but in councils and parliaments. Before the 
meeting closed, the delegates decided that Ulloa had 
seized power to which he had no right, and they 
drew up a petition asking the Superior Council to 
order him to leave Louisiana. The council there- 
upon ordered Ulloa to leave the colony. 

It was a grave matter to expel from the country 
a man of Ulloa's position. It is true Ulloa had re- 
fused to show proof of his authority. Yet, before 
coming to Louisiana, he had written to the Superior 
Council that he had been ordered by the king of 
Spain to take possession of the colony. Spanish 
ships had brought him to Louisiana ; Spanish troops 
were under his command. There could be no 
doubt that he held a high position in the service 
of Spain. 

There was, however, a passage in King Louis's 
letter to D'Abadie which made the Louisianians 
cling to the idea that France, in ceding Louisiana 



"THE REVOLUTION OF 1768" 141 

to Spain, still kept some hold on the province. 
King Louis had said he hoped his cousin, the king 
of Spain, would see to it that the colonists would 
continue to enjoy their rights, and that the "Supe- 
rior Council would continue to administer justice 
according to the laws of the colony." There was 
nothing more binding in the letter than this, — a 
mere hope, — but the colonists believed that King 
Louis had some control over the king of Spain, and 
would uphold them in what they had done. 

Aubry, at the head of the colonial troops, es- 
corted Ulloa to his vessel. All night the vessel lay 
quietly at its moorings. A party of young men, 
going home from a wedding feast at the break of 
day, thought it would be a fine joke to cut the ropes 
of the vessel while the Spaniards were sleeping. No 
sooner had the thought occurred to them than they 
acted upon it. When they cut the ropes, the vessel 
drifted with the current. Cold and revengeful Ulloa 
was borne away from the unfriendly shores of Loui- 
siana to lay his case before the Spanish court. 

Questions. — i. Describe the convention of 1768 : 
(i) Why it was called. 

(2) Who attended it. 

(3) The petition to the Superior Council. 

(4) The result. 

2. In what ways had Ulloa failed to convince the people that 
he represented Spain ? 

3. Why had he not taken formal possession for Spain? 



CHAPTER XXV 

DON ALEXANDER o'rEILLY 

The leaders of the convention of 1768 published 
a memorial, as the writing was called, which gave a 
full account of the unlawful acts of Ulloa, and up- 
held the delegates in all they had done. Copies of 
the memorial were scattered through the colony, 
and a copy was sent to Ulloa, in Havana, who 
promptly forwarded it to the Spanish government. 

Since the colonists still clung to the mother coun- 
try, Lesassier, a member of the Superior Council, 
went to France to justify the course they had taken. 
Lesassier bore with him a petition to King Louis 
asking that the Louisianians be again taken under 
his protection. But as was the case when Milhet 
carried a petition to France, the minister stood be- 
tween the throne and the colonists; and their appeal 
never reached the ears of King Louis. 

Aubry then sent a report of the affair to the 
French government. He wrote cautiously, for he 
wished to wait to see how France would view the 
matter before he should side with or against the 
colonists. He was convinced, so he wrote, that 
Ulloa had not been the right man to govern Loui- 

142 



DON ALEXANDER O'REILLY . 143 

siana ; nevertheless, he and a few other worthy ones 
had submitted to his rule. 

Ulloa himself was not slow in laying his wrongs 
before the Spanish court. He wrote bitterly of the 
insult put upon his king and upon himself, the 
representative of Spain. 

When his report, with the memorial from the 
colonists, reached Spain, a council of ministers was 
held to decide whether Spain should keep Loui- 
siana or whether the province should be given back 
to France. The council decided that Spain should 
hold Louisiana. The council did not reach this 
conclusion because it thought that in the years to 
come the province would be valuable. Spain prized 
Texas and Mexico, and thought it best to hold 
Louisiana because it lay between her valued posses- 
sions and the English colonies, and so would serve 
as a protection against the advancing English. The 
council agreed that, as subjects of Spain, the Loui- 
sianians must be punished for the " rebellion," as 
Ulloa had termed it. 

Don Alexander O'Reilly was chosen to rule 
Louisiana. As his name tells you, O'Reilly was an 
Irishman; but he had served in the Spanish army 
a long time and had become a general. General 
O'Reilly was sent to Louisiana with a large army. 
He was ordered to " subdue the rebels by force," if 
necessary ; but the king himself commanded him 
to be merciful, saying he was only to banish from 



144 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

the colony those who deserved a greater punish- 
ment. 

During all this time the Louisianians lived in the 
deepest anxiety. No news came from France, and 
none from Spain, except that now and then rumors 
drifted into the colony of a fleet which Spain was 
getting ready to send to Louisiana. 

Lafreniere and his followers were bold enough to 
think of seizing Louisiana, and forming a govern- 
ment with the power in the hands of the people. 
This, you know, is the form of government we now 
enjoy as a part of the United States, but in the year 
1768 the United States had not been formed. The 
determined leaders were ready to fight for the prin- 
ciple of self-government, and to die for it, but noth- 
ing could be done without the support of the people. 
And the people ? Were the Louisianians without 
spirit ? No, the French-Americans in Louisiana held 
in their hearts the same idea of self-government that, 
some years later, caused the English- Americans on 
the Atlantic coast to form a government " of the 
people, for the people, and by the people." But, 
though the hardships and dangers of life in a new 
country had made the Louisianians hardy, self- 
reliant, and strong in their personal affairs, they 
had been born and reared in dependence upon the 
mother country for a government. They had 
within them the instinct of freedom, but had not 
been trained to know their strength or to use it. 



DON ALEXANDER O'REILLY 



145 



,^^S^, 



They could grasp the idea of self-government, but 
it was too new and too shadowy for them to 
put it into practice. The time had not yet come 
when the Louisianians could hold together in a 
common cause. As the people would not unite 
with them, the leaders could do 
nothing. 

The colony waited helplessly 
to see what move Spain would 
make. One morning a messen- 
ger came into New Orleans 
with the news that a Spanish 
fleet of twenty-four ships was 
at the Balize. The fleet proved 
to be the escort of Don 
O'Reilly, who was coming to 
take possession of Louisiana, 
anxious faces, stood in groups on the street corners, 
and on the levee, looking toward the south whence 
the Spanish ships were coming up the river. They 
now realized what it meant to defy Spain. The 
only thing to do was to submit and to hope for 
the best. 

Aubry advised Lafreniere and the other leaders 
of the so-called " revolution" to be the first to greet 
O'Reilly. Acting upon this advice the leaders 
went down the river to meet the fleet. O'Reilly 
received them on board of his vessel with marked 
courtesy. Lafreniere told him that, since help 




Don Alexander O'Reilly 



The people, with 



146 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

was no longer expected from France, he, in the 
name of the Louisianians, would promise submission 
to Spanish control. Aubry declared that there 
would have been no trouble if Ulloa had satisfied 
the people that he was the representative of Spain. 
O'Reilly answered that he could not talk of the 
matter until he had looked into it from all sides, 
but he assured the Creoles that he had their interests 
at heart. 

During the conversation O'Reilly used the ex- 
pression, "rebellious people." Milhet thereupon 
spoke up and said that such a term could not apply 
to the colonists, for they had resisted no lawful au- 
thority. O'Reilly invited the Creoles to dinner, 
and after they had partaken of his hospitality, they 
parted from him pleasantly. 

O'Reilly, with three thousand troops, landed at 
New Orleans in the part of the city facing what is 
now called Jackson Square, but at that time was 
called Place d'Armes. Aubry had his troops drawn 
up on the levee to receive the representative of 
Spain. O'Reilly and his brilliant stai¥ marched 
across to the Place and drew up the Spanish soldiers 
on three sides of the square. Aubry marshaled his 
troops on the remaining side. Surrounding the 
square were thousands of people, awed into silence, 
as they viewed the imposing scene. 

O'Reilly and Aubry walked toward each other, 
and met in the middle of the square. O'Reilly 



DON ALEXANDER O'REILLY 147 

handed to Aubry the papers from the king of Spain, 
giving him the right to receive the province. 
These papers were read aloud The French flag 
was lowered, and the Spanish flag raised in its place. 
There was no longer any doubt that the Louisia- 
nians were subjects of Spain. 

Questions. — i. Tell of the second appeal to the French king. 

2. Tell of the first ideas of independence and self-government 
in Louisiana. 

3. What did the Spanish government do when it learned of the 
rebellious actions in Louisiana? 

4. How did the leaders in the colony receive O'Reilly? 

5. Describe the ceremony at the Place d'Armes when Spain 
formally took possession of Louisiana. 



CHAPTER XXVI 

EXECUTION OF THE REVOLUTIONISTS 

O'Reilly took possession of one of the hand- 
somest houses in New Orleans, and Hved in a style 
befitting the representative of a rich and powerful 
nation. He had a large chair with a canopy over 
it placed in one of the most beautiful rooms. Here, 
like a king seated in his chair of state, he received 
the people. So elegant were his dinners and so 
brilliant his receptions that the belles of De Vau- 
dreuil's day owned to their daughters that even in 
the time of the Grand Marquis there had never 
been such pomp and magnificence. 

The citizens of New Orleans, even the leaders 
of the so-called " revolution," accompanied by their 
wives and daughters, did not hesitate to attend 
O'Reilly's receptions, for Lafreniere had given his 
word that the colonists would remain quiet, and 
O'Reilly had declared that he would act for the 
good of the people. So far as the Louisianians 
were concerned, the matter was settled. They had 
buried the past, and were acting in good faith. If 
they had been plotting against O'Reilly, not one of 
them would have entered his house and broken bread 
with him. 

148 



EXECUTION OF THE REVOLUTIONISTS 149 

O'Reilly, however, had no such nice sense of 
honor. While he was acting the part of the friendly- 
man and gracious host, he was keeping Aubry near, 
getting from him information and papers relating 
to the expulsion of Ulloa. O'Reilly particularly 
wanted the names of the leaders. Aubry promptly 
oave the names. He even orave more information 
than was asked of him ; and he added the opinion 
that it was the leaders who had caused the revolt, 
and that they should be punished. So secretly 
did O'Reilly and Aubry plot that no one suspected 
what was being done. 

One night O'Reilly gave a large reception. His 
rooms were thronged with the best society of the 
capital city. All the leaders of the revolution were 
there except Villere, who was absent on his planta- 
tion. O'Reilly moved among his guests, saying a 
pleasant word to each, and putting all at ease by 
his own grace and charm of manner. After a little 
while he made it convenient, in some light, un- 
noticeable way, to get Lafreniere and the other 
leaders together. O'Reilly then asked them to 
walk into an adjoining room. Bowing and smiling, 
the gentlemen entered the room with their host. 
Do you think that they were invited in to have a 
smoke and friendly chat ? 

All around the room stood soldiers, armed as if 
they were going to battle. O'Reilly's manner sud- 
denly changed. He called the Creoles rebels, and 



I50 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

accused them of trying to overthrow the Spanish 
government. Under his orders the soldiers seized 
the gentlemen and threw them into prison. 

When Villere heard what had taken place, his 
first thought was to flee from Louisiana, How- 
ever, on receiving a letter from Aubry saying that 
his flight would be used to prove the guilt of his 
friends who were in prison, he returned to New 
Orleans. He was immediately arrested and put on 
board a Spanish ship. Madame Villere, hearing of 
his arrest, hastened to the city, and went out in a 
canoe to the side of the prison-ship. While she was 
pleading with the officers, Villere heard her voice. 
He attempted to go to his wife, but was instantly 
killed by the guard. Villere's shirt, soaked through 
with his blood, was then thrown into the canoe to 
his wife. 

O'Reilly pretended to give the other prisoners a 
trial, but it was a farce. They did not have a fair 
trial in open court, with lawyers to defend them and 
witnesses to testify in their behalf. They were ex- 
amined separately and secretly, each in his cell. 
They did not know the names of the witnesses 
who testified against them, or what they testified. 
The Louisianians could defend themselves only 
by repeating what they had already told O'Reilly; 
namely, that they did not, and could not, know 
that Ulloa had authority to rule over the colony; 
that they had acted while the French flag still 



EXECUTION OF THE REVOLUTIONISTS 151 

waved over them, and while the colony was still 
under French law, with Aubry holding it for the 
king of France. 

It was useless, however, for the prisoners to make 
any attempt to defend themselves. O'Reilly had 
made up his mind to make an example of them, 
hoping that this would so terrify the other colonists 
that they would never dare rebel again. He com- 
manded that Lafreniere, Milhet, Noyan, Caresse, 
and Marquis should be placed upon mules, and with 
cords around their necks be led out of prison and 
hanged. 

When it became known that these good and true 
men were to die, the citizens of New Orleans were 
stirred to the depths of their souls. Men, women, 
even little children, implored O'Reilly to spare the 
lives of the patriots, at least until their cause could 
be heard by the king. O'Reilly, in spite of the 
fact that the Spanish king had commanded him 
to be merciful, turned a deaf ear to the pleading 
of the inhabitants that the lives of all the prisoners 
be spared. But cruel as O'Reilly was at heart, the 
case of one of the prisoners touched him. He was 
moved to pity when he thought of Noyan, — Noyan, 
the nephew of Bienville, with his frank, handsome 
face and boyish manners, — who had just married 
Lafreniere's daughter. He allowed it to be hinted 
to Noyan that he would be permitted to escape. 
But Noyan refused to do so. Not even for the sake 



152 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

of his girl-wife would the young Louisianian desert 
his comrades in distress. 

It was found that there was no hans^man in the 
colony, so the condemned prisoners were ordered to 
be shot. When the day of execution came, hundreds 
of people left the city. Those who could not leave 
went into their houses, closed the doors and win- 
dowSj'and waited in an agony of sickening dread to 
hear the fatal shots. Only the tramping of soldiers 
broke the deathlike stillness which brooded over 
the crushed and helpless city. At three o'clock on 
a perfect October afternoon in 1769, the condemned 
men were led to the Spanish barracks. Lafreniere, 
it is said, gave the order to fire. A volley of mus- 
kets broke out on the still air, and five patriots went 
to their death, — the first Louisianians to give their 
blood for the cause of freedom. 

The other men who had been arrested by O'Reilly 
on the charge of being revolutionists were not put 
to death, because it was declared that they were 
merely under the influence of the leaders. They 
were all sentenced to imprisonment, however, some 
for a term of years, others for life. The prop- 
erty of all of them was seized. The property of 
Villere, who was killed on the Spanish ship, was 
taken from his wife and children. One of his sons 
lived to be governor of Louisiana. 

Aubry seemed to be the only person in Louisi- 
ana who approved of O'Reilly's cruel course. He 



EXECUTION OF THE REVOLUTIONISTS 153 

praised O'Reilly for making an example of so few 
of the " revolutionists." But Louisiana was no 
longer a pleasant home for Aubry, since the people 
regarded him as a traitor. He very soon sneaked 
away from Louisiana. Taking with him a bag of 
gold and a box of silver earned by his treachery, 
he sailed for France. Retribution came upon him 
quickly. The vessel upon which he sailed was 
wrecked as it entered the Garonne River in France. 
Aubry, with his purse of gold and box of silver, 
went to the bottom of the river. 




^ iJl.<L^ 




§W O 



O'Reilly's Autograph 



Questions, — i. Describe O'Reilly's apparent friendliness and 
his treachery. 

2. What was the prisoners' defense against the charge of con- 
spiracy and rebellion? 

3. Were they allowed a trial? What do you think of con- 
demning a man without a trial ? 

4. What penalties did O'Reilly inflict? 



CHAPTER XXVII 

THE CABILDO 

O'Reilly thought that he had brought the Loui- 
sianians to their senses. He had made them un- 
derstand that Spain would put up with no rebelHous 
spirit. Now that he had made himself master, he 
wrote to the Spanish court that he would pacify the 
colonists by every means in his power; that he 
would try to make them feel that the past was 
forgotten ! 

The Louisianians had given O'Reilly an ugly 
nickname, — " Bloody O'Reilly," — but it would not 
be just to the Spanish general to remember him only 
as Bloody O'Reilly. He was an able, active man. 
The king had directed him to form a new govern- 
ment in the colony, and he went about the work in 
an earnest, sensible way. The first thing he did 
was to take a census of New^ Orleans, which showed 
3187 inhabitants, counting the negroes. 

O'Reilly, as far as was possible, trusted none to 
do what he could do himself. He visited the differ- 
ent parishes, looked into the condition of the people, 
and asked them to let him know their needs. The 
levees next drew his attention. In those days the 

154 



THE CABILDO . 155 

government did not help to keep up the levees as it 
does now, and the people had not learned to work 
together for the good of the whole country. It was, 
therefore, a wise idea of O'Reilly to give a certain 
amount of land to any one who would work it, and 
would keep up the levee in front of his property. 

The city government of New Orleans was run in 
a careless, haphazard way. Sometimes there was 
money to pay the city's expenses, sometimes there 
was none. O'Reilly arranged for a fixed yearly 
income. Each tavern was taxed forty dollars a 
year, each hotel twenty dollars, every barrel of 
wine or whisky one dollar, and the butchers were 
taxed three hundred and seventy dollars a year. 
The city was allowed to put a certain tax on vessels 
both entering and leaving the port. The money 
received from the last-mentioned tax was to be used 
to build levees. 
/ By far the most important act of O'Reilly was to 
' bring Louisiana under firm, just laws. Before this 
. the system of government had been loose. The 
! code of laws was, of course, Spanish. Since the 
colonists were French, they naturally objected, 
but there was really little difference between the 
Spanish and French laws. The actual change was 
only that the colony was to be under a strong, settled 
form of government. A court, called the Cabildo, 
took the place of the Superior Council. The Cabildo 
had some of the powers of our Supreme Court, and 



156 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

some of the powers of our legislature. The Cabildo 
met every Friday, though the governor could call 
a meeting at any time. 

O'Reilly opened the first session of the Cabildo and 
installed Unzaga as governor. Unzaga was not 
given so much power as had been allowed the former 
governor. Under the laws of the Cabildo, if a gov- 
ernor did any unlawful act, he could be brought before 
the Cabildo, and his conduct examined. 

It was the duty of several ofificers of the Cabildo 
to visit every Friday the prisons of the city. They 
were to see that the jails were kept clean, that the 
jailers were kind to the prisoners, and were to set 
free those who had been put in jail for small debts. 

You will remember that when Lafreniere and his 
comrades were tried, they were confronted with no 
witnesses. Now a law was made that no person ac- 
cused of a crime could be found guilty unless con- 
fronted with two witnesses of good character who 
swore to his guilt. These are only a few of the 
Spanish laws, but there were others just as good. 

O'Reilly did his work well, but he was never for- 
given for the execution of the six patriots. The doors 
of Creole homes were never opened to him. He left 
no friends behind him when he was called away 
shortly after the neyv government was formed. 

The Spanish rule would have been just, had it 
not been for the trade laws.") At that time Louisiana 
had indigo, lumber, tobacco, and furs to sell, but she 



THE CABILDO 



^57 



was not allowed to send them where they would be 
bought. Louisiana could trade only with six ports 
in Spain, and two vessels a year from France were 
permitted to enter her ports. Spain got better in- 
digo from her other colonies; more tobacco was 




The Old Cabildo of New Orleans 

grown in the West Indies than the Spaniards could 
use; and as for furs, both Spain and France were 
such warm countries that they did not need them. 
On the other hand, Louisiana had at her very 
door a people who needed what she had to sell. 
More than that, these people, the English settlers 
in America, had what Louisiana wanted to buy, and 
were eager to trade. The English — who, as you 
know, now owned all east of the Mississippi except 



158 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

the island of Orleans — had built large warehouses 
at Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. Vessels 
from Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Balti- 
more kept these warehouses filled with goods of 
every description. Queer-looking boats with shelves 
from prow to stern still glided down the stream and 
tied up at Little Manchac. 

What a pity the law of Spain forbade the Louisi- 
anians to trade with the English ! The English 
spread their wares, and the New Orleans merchants 
went to see the tempting display. Seeing led to 
buying, and Little Manchac fairly buzzed with trade 
as the merchants bargained for whole cargoes of 
the floating stores, and gave their furs and tobacco 
in exchange. Year in and year out the brisk trade 
went on. Unzaga quietly went his way and said 
nothing. He knew that trade was life to the col- 
ony, and that Spain could not furnish enough sol- 
diers to guard the Mississippi from Natchez to New 
Orleans. 

For the first time there was freedom in the prov- 
ince, and under its healthful influence Louisiana 
blossomed like a rose. The English-Americans, 
attracted by the rich soil of the colony, left the ware- 
houses and floating stores to buy plantations in 
Louisiana. From the plantations they soon went* to 
New Orleans and established business houses. 

The colonists loved Unzaga for his gentleness. 
They were sorry to see him leave when, in 1776, he 



THE CABILDO 159 

was sent to govern another Spanish colony. But 
they could not help loving the man who for the 
time being was named as his successor, — Galvez, 
the dashing young colonel of the Louisiana regi- 
ment. Galvez, though but twenty-one years old 
when placed in command, was a man in whom the 
people could put their trust. Would Bienville have 
known his colony under Unzaga and Galvez ? 
Both officers married Creoles, and other Spaniards 
followed their example. The people of Louisiana 
were now French, Spanish, mixed French and 
Spanish, and Americans. 

Questions, — i. What were some of the things O'Reilly did to 
help the people and the city of New Orleans? 

2. Tell something about the laws in the colony at this time. 

3. Tell of the organization of the Cabildo and its duties. 

4. Describe the conditions of trade : 

(i) The export products of Louisiana. 

(2) The restrictions on trade. 

(3) The illegal trade with the English. 

5. Tell about the settling of English-Americans in Louisiana. 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 

Is it not hard to realize that Great Britain, 
France, and Spain once owned our country? You 
have seen that the laws made by France and Spain 
for their colonies were often unjust. Great Britain 
for a long time dealt wisely with her American 
colonies. They were allowed to elect their own 
legislatures and to make their own laws. These 
laws were so good that many people in Europe came 
to live in English-America. Great Britain, however, 
did not forget that the colonies belonged to her, and 
kept her right to make laws for them whenever she 
chose. 

As a result of the French and Indian War, Great 
Britain had gained an immense territory in America, 
but the war had cost so much that she had been 
compelled to borrow a great deal of money to carry 
it on. She wanted her American colonies to help 
pay the debt. The Americans had helped bear the 
expense of the war, and thought that they had done 
enough. 

Great Britain insisted on raising money in the col- 
onies, and for this purpose made laws taxing their 

160 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 



i6i 



trade. The Americans had enjoyed making their 
own laws too long to allow a country across the 
Atlantic Ocean — even their mother country — to 
• pass laws taxing them. 

In 1775 they raised armies to oppose the English 




The Committee presenting the Declaration of Independence to 
THE President of Congress 

After a bronze tablet on pedestal of monument. 

policies. The next year they determined to separate 
from Great Britain. On July 4, 1776, a Congress, 
representing all the colonies, adopted the Declara- 
tion of Independence — a set of resolutions that 
declared the colonies to be free and independent 
States. 

The Louisianians, you remember, had the same 
idea in 1768. There was, however, a great differ- 
ence. In the English colonies the people numbered 



1 62 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

seven or eight million ; they were well-to-do, many of 
them rich ; there were many cities, large for those 
days; and the men had learned to fight in the 
French and Indian War. In the French colony 
there were only about four or five thousand inhab- 
itants ; the people were poor ; there was but one 
city in the colony ; and the men had no military 
training. Besides, the Louisianians had never been 
used to governing themselves. But the spirit of 
Lafreniere and his brave followers still lived in the 
hearts of their countrymen, and the Louisianians 
gave sympathy and aid to the Americans. 

It is true that the Louisianians had enjoyed good 
government under Unzaga, and trade with the Eng- 
lish had enriched them. This trade, however, was 
contrary to law. They had been able to carry it on 
simply because Unzaga, a kind, sensible man, acting 
according to his own judgment as to what was best 
for the colony, had allowed it. Galvez also governed 
justly and encouraged trade. But what assurance 
had the colonists that such a condition would con- 
tinue ? What assurance had they that trading would 
always be allowed ? At any time the king might 
order that oppressive laws be enforced. Any gov- 
ernor, if he chose, might interfere with trade. It is 
no wonder, then, that the sympathies of the Louisi- 
anians went out to the brave Americans who were 
struggling to become free. 

For a long time Spain took no par^ in the war 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 163 

except to encourage Unzaga, and after him Galvez, 
to aid the Americans. The last year that Unzaga 
was in the colony, the American merchants in New 
Orleans openly sent shiploads of arms, supplies, and 
ammunition to Pennsylvania. 

Later a decided stand was taken against the 
British. As France and Spain were friendly, these 
two countries made a treaty permitting trade between 
Louisiana and the French West Indies. Galvez did 
all in his power to encourage this trade. French 
vessels, taking the place of English vessels, went up 
ajid down the river, buying and selling, and sailed 
out of the port at New. Orleans loaded with Louisi- 
ana products. The English tried to smuggle in 
some of their o;oods, but Galvez seized eleven of 
their richly laden vessels. On account of this vig- 
orous action of Galvez, the English were obliged to 
leave the Mississippi. 

France, in order to cripple her old enemy. Great 
Britain, made an alliance with the American revolu- 
tionists. She sent them money, ships, and soldiers. 
Spain aided them through her colony of Louisiana, 
and did not have the foresisfht to see that in doinor 
so she was bringing the French-Americans and the 
English-Americans closer together. 

Oliver Pollock was one of the leadinor American 

O 

merchants in New Orleans, and was especially 
active in aiding his countrymen. When large ves*- 
sels came from Fort Pitt, in Pennsylvania, for sup- 



164 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 




First Flag of the United States 

Adopted by Congress in 1777. 



plies, Pollock, with the help of Galvez, would see 
that they were well loaded. In this way seventy 
thousand dollars' worth of arms and provisions went 

to the Americans. 

The vessels sailing 
between Louisiana and 
the Atlantic States 
opened the way for other 
Americans to come to 
Louisiana. Captain 
Willing from Philadel- 
phia visited New Or- 
leans and Mobile. He 
tried to get the English 
in Florida to join the cause of the American colo- 
nies that were supporting the Revolution, but they 
remained on the side of the mother country. He 
then took about fifty men up the Mississippi River. 
He burned the houses, killed the cattle, and de- 
stroyed the crops on the English plantations at 
Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez. 

Colonel Morgan, the American commander at 
Fort Pitt, wrote to Galvez that he thought it would 
be an easy matter for the Americans to surprise the 
English at Mobile and Pensacola if vessels could be 
had at New Orleans. Colonel Morgan also wrote 
that he would pay well for the information if Galvez 
would tell him the strength of these places and the 
number of soldiers in the garrisons. Galvez had 



THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION 165 

not been at all pleased when Willing went up the 
river. A Spanish governor could not enjoy the 
sight of American boats filled with armed men on 
the Mississippi. When the letter from Colonel 
Morgan came, he was still less pleased. He did not 
want any country but Spain to have Florida. He 
got all the information he could about the garrisons 
at Mobile and Pensacola, but instead of sending it 
to the American colonel, he sent it to his government 
in Spain. Then Galvez had four boats built to 
defend the Spanish interests on the Mississippi. 

Questions. — i. What brought on the Revolutionary War be- 
tween England and her American colonies ? 

2. How did the Louisianians feel about the war ? 

3. What help was sent the Americans from New Orleans ? 



CHAPTER XXIX 

THE CAPTURE OF FLORIDA 

Spain wished to bring the American Revohition 
to a close, and proposed that commissioners from 
France, Great Britain, and the United States should 
meet at Madrid to settle upon terms of peace. Great 
Britain was unwilling to recognize the American 
government, and would not agree to meet a commis- 
sioner from the United States. Spain then declared 
war asfainst Great Britain. This was welcome news 
to the daring, ambitious young governor of Louisiana. 
He had eagerly watched the movements of the 
English and Americans, and had kept his eye jeal- 
ously fixed on Florida. Florida had once belonged 
to Spain. What a glorious deed for the man who 
would again put it in the hands of his royal master ! 

The English and the Americans were both 
eager to control Louisiana. When Spain entered 
the struggle, Great Britain at once determined to 
attack New Orleans, for with New Orleans in her 
possession, her boats could sail up and down the 
Mississippi, and keep Louisiana from helping the 
Americans. The English made a plan to surprise 
New Orleans. They worked so secretly that they 

1 66 



THE CAPTURE OF FLORIDA 



167 




came near succeeding, but Galvez captured a letter 
to an English commander which told what the Eng- 
lish were planning. Galvez was wide awake. He 
fully understood what the 
loss of New Orleans would 
mean to Spain. If the Eng- 
lish should capture New 
Orleans, they would push 
on to the precious gold 
mines of Mexico. Not only 
was Louisiana threatened, 
but all of Spain's American 
possessions were in danger. 
Galvez felt that something 

. 1 1 . T T Bernardo de Galvez 

must be done at once. He 

wanted to attack the English settlements at Manchac, 
Baton Rouge, and Natchez. To get the necessary 
aid, he called a meeting of his council, but the council 
was neither so bold nor so far-seeing as the young 
governor. The members agreed to help Galvez in 
whatever preparation he should make to defend New 
Orleans, but they thought that the plan to attack the 
English settlements showed that Galvez had more 
imagination than common sense. They said it would 
be foolish to draw Louisiana into the war because a 
hot-headed governor wanted to fight. 

Now, Galvez had not at first been regularly ap- 
pointed governor, but had only been put in com- 
mand temporarily. But a commission had come 



1 68 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

to him making him the regular governor, at the 
same time that news came that Spain had declared 
war against Great Britain. Galvez had so far kept 
his appointment a secret. When the council re- 
fused to help him, the thought came to him that 
he might make good use of his commission. With 
it he would appeal to the people ! All the inhabit- 
ants of the city were called together at the Place 
d'Armes. Galvez stood before them with his com- 
mission in his hand. He told them that he had 
been appointed their governor and that the English 
were threatening New Orleans. He said that it 
was the duty of a governor to protect the people, 
and he could do nothing for their protection un- 
less they would help him. Would they do so ? It 
was a question that meant much. For the first 
time, a Louisiana governor felt the need of the 
people, and asked for their support. The crowd 
cheered and cheered, and promised to follow their 
gallant leader. 

Galvez went to work with energy, and in a short 
while had an army made up of regular troops, 
Creoles, Americans, and negroes. He told his 
men that he intended to post them along the river, 
where he expected the English to make an attack. 
When the army was a short distance from Man- 
chac, the governor ordered a halt. He then made a 
speech to his soldiers, stating that his real object 
was to take the British forts. Would they stand by 



THE CAPTURE OF FLORIDA 169 

him ? Again there was cheer after cheer, and the 
Httle army eagerly promised to follow him. 

The fort at Manchac was easily taken, and the 
army marched on to Baton Rouge. Colonel Dick- 
son and his brother officers of the British garrison 
were eating breakfast when a cannon ball went 
whizzing over their heads and passed through the 
opposite wall. The British returned this morning 
greeting, but after a few hours' fighting, surrendered 
Baton Rouge, and agreed to give up Natchez to the 
Spaniards. 

Galvez hastened back to New Orleans and began 
preparations to march against Mobile and Pensa- 
cola. The active young commander, after raising 
an army of two thousand men, sailed from the Ba- 
lize to attack these towns. A terrible storm on the 
Gulf almost wrecked the fleet, but at last it landed 
safely at Mobile. The town did not hold out any 
longer than Manchac, Baton Rouge, and Natchez 
had done. 

The next movement was against Pensacola. This 
place was strongly fortified and had a large gar- 
rison. Galvez sent to Cuba for more troops, but he 
received nothing but promises. Tired of waiting, 
Galvez himself went to Cuba. As he was the son 
of the viceroy of Mexico, and had relatives who 
were influential at the court of Spain, Galvez got 
all the troops and ammunition he needed. Coming 
across the Gulf, his fleet was almost destroyed by a 



lyo 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



storm. But Galvez did not give up. He went back 
to Cuba and secured more ships, arms, and men. 
This time he got safely across the Gulf and landed 
on the island of St. Rosa, at the entrance of Pen- 
sacola harbor. 




The Surrender of Cornwallis at Yorktown 

From the painting by Trumbull, in the Capitol at Washington 

Storms were so frequent on the coast of the 
island that the ships were in danger. Galvez told 
the Spanish admiral, who came with him from 
Cuba, that the vessels must cross the bar and enter 
the harbor. The admiral said that the channel was 
too narrow for the ships. Galvez could not force 
the admiral to obey him, but he did not intend to 
be outdone. Taking two or three gunboats be- 
longing to the Louisiana government, he entered 



THE CAPTURE OF FLORIDA 171 

the channel. The British poured a heavy volley 
upon the little fleet, but it swept gallantly on and 
landed safely. Thereupon, the admiral, who could 
not stand the shame of being thought a coward, 
passed into the channel with his fleet and joined 
Galvez. A brave attack was made upon Pensacola, 
and the garrison surrendered. 

Galvez won his brilliant victory at Pensacola in 
1 781. In the same year the American army, under 
George Washington, compelled the British general, 
Cornwallis, to surrender at Yorktown, in Virginia. 
The surrender of Cornwallis virtually put an end to 
the American Revolution. In 1 783 treaties of peace 
were signed by Great Britain, France, Spain, and 
the United States. Great Britain acknowledged 
the independence of the United States and the 
western boundary of the new government was fixed 
at the Mississippi River. Great Britain also gave 
back Florida to Spain. On the other hand, Spain 
granted the free navigation of the Mississippi to the 
United States and Great Britain 

Questions. — i . When Spain declared war against Great Britain, 
what was the effect in Louisiana? 

2. How did Galvez break up the English plan to capture New 
Orleans? 

3. Describe his efforts to capture Pensacola and his final 
success. 

4. After the treaty of 1783, what did Great Britain own in 
America? What did Spain own ? 



CHAPTER XXX 

THE NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI 

Spain had not the sh'ghtest idea of keeping that 
part of the treaty which promised the free use of the 
Mississippi River. She did not want the Americans 
to enter her possessions, and she looked upon the 
Mississippi as a part of these. The Westerners, 
as the people of Tennessee and Kentucky were 
called, did not see the matter in the same light. 
They lived upon the bank of the river, and consid- 
ered that it belonged to them as well as to Spain. 
The river, they contended, was a public highway 
for the use of all. 

The Westerners had crossed the mountains and 
cut through forests until they had reached the Mis- 
sissippi. They had built log cabins, made their own 
furniture, and lived on bear's meat and a kind of 
corn bread which they baked in ashes and called 
johnnycake. In the course of time the settlements 
of the hardy pioneers became towns. The West- 
erners then had good houses and fine furniture, and 
they ate johnnycake only because they liked it. 
They were an industrious people. They raised 
more corn, wheat, pork, chickens, and turkeys than 

172 



THE NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI 173 

they could use. To make their country prosper, 
they had to sell what they did not need. 

The vexing question now arose as to where they 
should sell. There were no railroads in those times. 
The only way the Westerners could get their produce 
overland to the cities on the Atlantic coast was to 
load wagons and send them through great forests 
and over hioh mountains. This method of market- 
inn cost so much that the Westerners could not 
afford to use it. The only outlet that remained for 
their produce was the Mississippi, and the only city 
with which they could trade with profit was New 
Orleans. 

Spain, without exactly breaking the treaty, made 
laws which interfered with trade and kept the West- 
erners — especially the Kentuckians, who raised the 
greatest amount of produce for trade — angry and 
dissatisfied. They had to pay heavy fees for the 
right to use the river and to sell their produce in 
New Orleans. If these fees or taxes were not paid, 
the goods were seized and the owner was put into 
prison. 

Louisiana was no longer a Spanish province at the 
end of nowhere. She had come into close touch 
with the United States, of which she was by nature 
a part. The Louisianians did not approve of Spain's 
treatment of their thrifty neighbors, for they eagerly 
welcomed the loaded flatboats crowding their port, 
and opening trade between them and the Americans. 



174 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



Miro, the new governor, stood as Spain's repre- 
sentative between the people of Louisiana and the 
people of the United States. He understood con- 
ditions in America much better than the king of 
Spain, and wrote to his "gracious Majesty" that 
Louisiana was not like his other colonies, and advised 




A Flatboat 



that she be not governed by the laws that were made 
for the other colonies. The king, however, refused 
to make any change in the laws for Louisiana. 
Miro, nevertheless, resolved to help Louisiana and 
the Westerners all he could. He allowed American 
families to settle in the province, and, whenever it 
was possible to do so, took no notice of the breaking 
of the trade laws. 

Under this policy a brisk trade soon sprang up, 
but, in spite of Miro's care, the peace was not kept. 
Every little while some ofificer stationed on the river 



THE NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI 175 

stopped the flatboat of some Kentuckian, seized his 
cargo, and put him into prison. So many such out- 
rages occurred that the people of the West became 
aroused, and declared that, since God intended the 
river to be used by every one living on its banks, 
they meant to use it for their trade. The Ken- 
tuckians did not put much faith in the Congress of 
the United States, for the national government was 
then very weak, and, besides, they felt they were 
too far away from the Atlantic States for Congress 
to take much interest in them. Still, they decided 
to ask the government to make some agreement 
with Spain that would give them the free use of the 
river. If Congress would not help them, — well, 
they would help themselves. 

Some of the Kentuckians thought it would be best 
for the West to join Louisiana, and become a prov- 
ince of Spain, so as to secure the use of the Missis- 
sippi River; some thought a better way would be 
to ask France for aid ; others wanted to seize New 
Orleans and force Spain to give them the use of the 
Mississippi. There were still others who wanted 
to withdraw from the United States, form an inde- 
pendent republic, and ask the friendship of Spain. 
Lastly, there was another party, made up of the cool- 
headed, loyal people, who wished to stay in the 
Union, but insisted that Congress should protect 
them in their right to use the river. 

Governor Miro knew all that was going on in 



176 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



Kentucky, and offered every inducement to the 
Western people to settle in Louisiana. He quietly 
did all he could to make the West secede from the 
United States, so as to gain that beautiful country 
for Spain. 

General James Wilkinson was a Kentuckian who 
had a great deal of influence with his people. He 
came to New Orleans with a large 
cargo of flour, butter, lard, bacon, 
and tobacco. His boat was 
seized. When Miro heard of it, 
he ordered the boat to be re- 
turned to its owner, and allowed 
General Wilkinson to sell his 
cargo without paying duty. 
Miro, hoping to win over General 
Wilkinson, gave several fine din- 
ners, and told him that he might 
trade with New Orleans free of 
duty. Before Wilkinson left the 
city, he gave Miro a written statement to the effect 
that the Kentuckians were about to leave the Union. 
This caused many letters to pass between the 
Louisiana governor and leading men in Kentucky 
on the subject of the West seceding from the Union. 
Though every effort was made to persuade Ken- 
tucky to secede, the movement did not succeed. 
In 1789 a new government, under a strong con- 
stitution, was organized for the United States. 




A Kentucky Pioneer 



THE NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI 177 

George Washington became the first President. 
Washington was so just and wise that the whole 
country had faith in him, and the Kentuckians 
knew that they could depend upon him to pro- 
tect their interests. They therefore decided to 
remain in the Union. 

Though Governor Miro failed to gain new ter- 
ritory for Spain, he governed well the province of 
Louisiana. His first act when he came to Louisi- 
ana was prompted by a kind heart. At that time 
there were many people suffering from the dreadful 
disease of leprosy. Every one feared it, and the 
miserable lepers wandered about the streets, eating 
what they could pick up, and sleeping wherever 
they could find a place. Miro had a hospital built 
for the lepers. After this was done, the unhappy 
creatures were at least comfortable. 

A fire swept over the city, leaving thousands 
starving and homeless. Miro had tents put up and 
used the government's money to buy food for the 
suffering people. In every way he worked for the 
good of the colony. 

After a time a feeling came over Miro that he 
could no longer be useful in Louisiana, and he 
asked to be removed. Wliy should he feel this way ? 
He could scarcely explain the reasons. He had seen 
the Americans throw off the control of Great Brit- 
ain ; he had seen these same people boldly pushing 
toward the Spanish possessions, and clamoring for 



178 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

the right of way on the Mississippi ; he had seen 
the Louisianians, impatient of restraint, determined 
to trade with the people of the United States. 
Miro knew that, to keep peace, he had been forced 
to give way to the people. 

But there was still another reason that grew out 
of conditions in Europe. In 1789 the people of 
France had caught the spirit of freedom which had 
been working such a change in America. They 
rose against their king, and spread the new doctrine 
that all men are brothers with equal rights. This 
spirit of freedom seemed brooding over the world. 
The times and the people were changing. Miro felt 
he could not change with them. He asked that 
another man, who could better deal with the situa- 
tion, be put in his place. 

Questions. — i . What provision regarding the Mississippi 
River was made in the treaty of 17S3? 

2. Why were the people of Tennessee and Kentucky depend- 
ent on the use of the Mississippi ? 

3. How did Spain hamper navigation and trade on the river? 

4. Tell about the plans to withdraw Kentucky from the Union. 



CHAPTER XXXI 

BARON DE CARONDELET 

The next governor was a fat, quick-tempered 
little gentleman with a long name — Fran9ois Louis 
Hector de Carondelet. The governor was a baron, 
too, but the Louisianians had known so many offi- 
cers, marquises, and barons that titles no longer 
made an impression upon them. They liked the 
Baron de Carondelet for his good qualities. 

Carondelet did not come to Louisiana ignorant 
of the temper of the people with whom he had to 
deal, or of the state of affairs in the West. To 
hold the colony for his royal master, Carondelet 
knew that he must be firm, and at the same time 
tactful. He resolved to make the colonists under- 
stand that, as their governor, he was in command ; 
but he meant to act in such a manner as to draw 
the people to him. As for the Americans in the 
West, he felt sure that he would find some way to 
get along with them. 

Carondelet found New Orleans poorly defended. 
He divided the city into four wards, and stationed a 
policeman in each ward. The policemen walked 
the streets all night and at every hour called out 

179 



i8o 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 




the state of the weather and the time. He also 
had large hanging lamps swung at the street cor- 
ners throughout the city. There were no elec- 
tric or gas lights in those days. Unless the moon 
shone, the streets were in darkness ; thieves and 

murderers lurked in 
the dark corners, 
making it unsafe for 
any citizen to go out 



at night without his 
lantern and short 
sword. The street 
lamps made the dan- 
ger of going about 
at night much less. 
Carondelet's improvements cost a good deal. He 
raised the money to pay for the lamps and the wages 
of the policemen in a queer way. A tax of one dol- 
lar and twelve and a half cents a year was put on 
every chimney in New Orleans. Surely, it cost a 
good deal to keep warm in those days ! 

The first newspaper in Louisiana was issued dur- 
ing Carondelet's administration. It was called Le 
Moniteitr de la Louisiane. 

Carondelet received orders from the home gov- 
ernment not to be too strict, for a time at least, in 
enforcing the trade laws. He therefore allowed 
American merchants to bring their clerks from the 
Eastern States and to establish branch houses in 



An Eakly SiREE'i' Lamp 



BARON DE CARONDELET i8i 

New Orleans. American names became so common 
in the city that one could not walk the streets with- 
out noticing them on the stores. Vessels from the 
East and flatboats from up the river, stocked with 
merchandise of every kind, crowded the port and 
levee. When the cargoes were sold, the Americans, 
Creoles, and Spaniards would get together to spend 
the evening. They enjoyed themselves somewhat 
noisily. The good, quiet people who thought that 
night was made for sleep only would be awakened 
by a band of passing revelers. The sleepy souls, 
only half awake, wondered whether the dreaded 
Westerners had at last come down the river to 
murder them. But when they remembered that it 
was only New Orleans entertaining her guests, they 
again drifted into the land of dreams. 

The next morning the traders were ready to go 
home. Some sailed away to the East, and others, 
the sturdy flatboatmen, broke up their boats, sold 
the lumber, and, buckling on their pistols, mounted 
their fast horses and went dashing homeward through 
the woods with their pockets full of money. 

Thus passed the first two. years of Carondelet 's 
administration. At the end of that time terrible 
news came from France. The French Revolution, 
which began when Miro was in Louisiana, was still 
in progress. The French people had killed their 
king and his beautiful queen, and had vowed that 
they would govern themselves. The Louisianians 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



were French at heart. While they did not approve 
of all the revolutionists had done, they sympathized 
with them in their effort to be free. 

Patriotic French songs were sung on the streets 
and in the saloons of New Orleans. One night at 
the theater some one in the audience cried out : 

" Give us the Marseillaise! " 
This was the war song of 
the revolutionists in France. 
As the orchestra struck the 
first note, the crowd rose to 
their feet. More than a hun- 
dred tliroats poured out the 
soul-stirring song which had 
so aroused the people of 
France. 

The singing of the Mar- 
seillaise at the theater wor- 
ried Carondelet, but he became more uneasy when 
one hundred and fifty men in sympathy with 
the revolutionists of France signed a petition, ask- 
ing that the province be taken under the protection 
of France. Suppose the Louisianians should seize 
the province and hold it for France ! Or, worse 
still, suppose they should ask to be taken under the 
protection of the United States ! 

The baron had beautified the city ; now he began 
to fortify it, in order that he might hold it for Spain. 
Every morning at daylight the fat little baron was 




Baron Carondelet 



BARON DE CARONDELET 183 

on horseback superintending the work on the forts. 
A French general said that Carondelet's forts 
looked like playthings for babies. But what did it 
matter.? The baron was satisfied with them, and 
the colonists, no doubt, looked upon them as towers 
of strenscth. Carondelet asked the Louisianians to 
sign a paper promising to be true to Spain. They 
readily did so. French songs were forbidden to 
be sung on the streets, and public meetings were 
broken up. 

Louisiana was then safe from within, but there 
was daneer from without. The French minister to 
the United States sent an agent to arouse the Ken- 
tuckians. They were urged to s^ize Louisiana. A 
French club in Philadelphia sent a letter at the same 
time, urging the Louisianians to throw off the yoke 
of Spain. Carondelet knew he did not have enough 
troops to protect Louisiana, so he resolved to make 
an attempt., to get the Kentuckians to secede from 
the United' States and unite with Spain. He sent 
a botanist, Mr. Powers, into Kentucky to gather 
specimens of plants. It took Mr. Powers a long 
time to make his collections. While employed in 
his work, the botanist met many prominent men and 
hinted to them about the matter of secession. These 
men smiled and lent a willing ear, as Spanish gold 
went from the pockets of Mr. Powers into their own. 
What was going on finally reached the ears of the 
Kentucky people. They refused to leave the Union, 



1 84 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



and nothing came of the plotting between Carondelet 
and the Kentucky gentlemen, except that it cost 
Spain a great deal of money. 

In the meanwhile, a plot had been formed in 
the very heart of Louisiana, which, if it had suc- 




iniS^S^'>j'=iBC^ 



Making Sugar from Sugar-Cane 

From an old print 



ceeded, would have been a terrible calamity. Some 
bad white men put it into the heads of the negroes 
in Pointe Coupee to murder all the white people in 
the parish. The plot was found out, and the leaders 
among the negroes were hanged. The white men, 
who deserved more severe punishment, were banished. 



BARON DE CARONDELET 185 

In 1794 a revolution, which was not warlike but 
industrial, came to Louisiana. It was one that has 
brought millions and millions of dollars into the 
State. In that year the principal crop in the State 
was indigo. A little insect made its appearance 
and ate the leaves and buds, just as the boll weevil 
has recently been eating the cotton bolls. Then, as 
now, the planters feared they would be ruined. 
Could they use their land for some new crop that 
would be as successful as indigo had been ? 

Up to 1 794 no sugar had been made in Louisiana, 
though good syrup had been made. It was believed 
that the Louisiana cane did not ripen sufficiently to 
cause the syrup to granulate. A planter, Etienne 
de Bore, felt sure that sugar could be made from 
the cane. He asked the advice of a sugar-maker from 
the West Indies, who told him that sugar could not 
be made from Louisiana cane. De Bore persisted 
in his belief and planted his whole place in cane. 
His friends thought him very foolish, and his wife 
implored him not to risk all they had in one crop. 
But he listened to no one. 

When grinding time came, De Bore employed to 
boil the syrup the same sugar-maker who had said 
that sugar could not be made from Louisiana cane. 
When De Bore began to grind his cane, many of 
his neighbors came to the mill and hung anxiously 
over the big kettles. They almost held their breath 
as the syrup boiled just to the point when it should 



i86 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

form little grains of sugar. The sugar-maker took 
up some of the boiling syrup. After looking at 
it carefully, he gave the joyous cry: " It granu- 
lates ! " 

It is more than a hundred years since De Bore 
made the first sugar in Louisiana. Much better 
sugar is now made, but De Bore's name should not 
be forgotten, as he took the first step towards start- 
ing one of Louisiana's great industries. 

Questions. — i. What did Carondelet do to make New Or- 
leans a better place in which to live? 

2. Give your own description of how you think the river 
wharves looked, of the boats and the men who came there to 
trade. 

3. What indications were there that the feeling for France was 
still strong in Louisiana? 

4. Tell about the first successful manufacture of sugar in 
Louisiana. 



CHAPTER XXXII 

THE NEW TREATY WITH SPAIN 

You remember that a treaty was made between 
Great Britain, Spain, and the United States in 1783, 
at the close of the Revolutionary War. You also 
remember that the treaty fixed the boundaries be- 
tween the possessions of these three countries, and 
granted to the subjects of Great Britain and the 
citizens of the United States the rio-ht to sail the 
Mississippi from its source to its mouth. Neither 
Great Britain nor Spain had kept the treaty. 

In 1794 Spain was at war with both Great Britain 
and France. Spain was anxious to be on friendly 
terms with the United States as lonor ^s she was 
at war with other countries. The trouble between 
Spain and the United States had been on account 
of the use of the Mississippi River, for the purpose 
of guarding the river and the frontier. Spain had 
kept forts and soldiers at Natchez, which is north 
of the thirty-first parallel of latitude, the line fixed 
by the treaty of 1783 as the boundary between 
the United States and the Spanish possessions. 
Thus Spain had trespassed upon territory belonging 
to the United States. 

187 '^ 



i88 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

The United States protested against this invasion 
of its territory, but Spain paid no attention to the 
protest until it suited her to do so. Now that she 
was engaged in war with Great Britain and F'rance, 
Spain thought it best to make friends with the 
Americans, for otherwise they might be friendly to 
the British. Spain wanted the United States to 
take neither one side nor the other. To put the 
Americans in a friendly spirit, Spain agreed to draw 
up another treaty. By the new treaty, made at 
Madrid in 1795, the southern'boundary of the United 
States was again fixed at the thirty-first degree of lat- 
itude (which was south of Natchez). The right to 
navigate the Mississippi from its source to its mouth 
was again granted to the citizens of the United 
States. Furthermore, the treaty of 1795 gave to 
the Americans, for the term of three years, the right 
to store their goods at New Orleans or some other 
suitable place, and from there to deliver them to 
the American ports on the Atlantic coast free of 
duty. At the end of three years, if it was not in- 
jurious to Spanish interests, this provision was to be 
renewed. 

Spain quieted the United States by her fair prom- 
ises, but she did not intend to keep them. Caron- 
delet understood the situation perfectly. While the 
home government was occupied with its war with 
Great Britain and France, he quietly decided to 
do a little work for his country. He determined 



THE NEW TREATY VVrfH SPAIN 



189 



to make an effort so to weaken the United States 
that they would be easier to handle when Spain, 
after peace was declared with other nations of Eu- 
rope, would be at leisure to settle with the infant 
American republic. 

Thomas Powers was again sent up the river. He 
held private meetings with several prominent Ken- 




Map showing East Florida, West Flor- 
ida, AND THE Florida Parishes 



tuckians and told them that 
Spain would never give up the 
territory she claimed east of 
the Mississippi, and that she 

would never allow navigation of the river. Mr. 
Powers wasted his time, and the Baron de Caron- 
delet played his game and lost — lost, too, many 
thousands of the king's gold dollars. A few lead- 
ing men of Kentucky were willing to play into the 
hands of Spain, but the people at large were not. 
They stored, under the law, their produce in New 



ipo 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



Orleans, traded free of duty, and were content under 
the government of the United States. 

If Spain was determined to break the treaty of 
1795, the United States was just as determined that 
it should be kept. You will see on the map that 

Natchez is north of the line 
dividinor the American from 
the Spanish possessions. 
Then, of course, Natchez was 
in the country that belonged 
to the United States, though 
Spain had never removed her 
forts and troops from that 
territory. 

In 1797 the United States 
sent a commissioner, Andrew 
Ellicott, to receive from Spain 
the territory which belonged to the United States. 
Gayoso de Lemos, the Spanish commissioner at Nat- 
chez, wanted to gain time, and tried to put Ellicott off. 
Gayoso insisted that the meaning of the treaty was 
not exactly clear; even Carondelet was not sure that 
he understood it. He said that to give up territory 
was a matter of such grave importance that he could 
not act until he had been ordered to do so by the 
king or the Spanish minister in America. 

Ellicott urged that according to the treaty the 
country belonged to the United States, and that the 
treaty must be kept. Gayoso raised objection after 




Andrew Ellicott 



THE NEW TREATY WITH SPAIN 



191 



objection. Asa result of the conference, no time was 
set for the transfer of the territory. Most of the peo- 
ple in the territory were Americans. They got tired 
of so much talking, and began to hold meetings. 
Gayoso had two of the leaders arrested. The people 
became enraged that Americans on American soil 
should be -arrested by a Spaniard. They armed 
themselves and made such threats that Gayoso had 
to shut himself in the fort for safety. Ellicott, tak- 
ing the side of the people, declared that he would 
protect them in their rights as American citizens. 

Gayoso, thereupon, sent out from his safe retreat 
a proclamation asking the people to be quiet. He 
promised to pardon all who were sorry for what 
they had done. The people showed their sorrow 
by forming companies of militia and drilling every 
day to the tune of Yankee Doodle. Gayoso at last 
asked the American commissioner to quiet the ex- 
cited people. 

The people next held a mass meeting and ap- 
pointed a "Committee of Public Safety." They 
announced that no public act of the governor would 
be considered lawful unless approved by the com- 
mittee. Gayoso, thoroughly frightened, asked Elli- 
cott to meet him at the house of a planter in the 
neighborhood. Gayoso had to slip out of the fort 
and go through a cane-brake at the back of the 
house. Colonel Ellicott said afterward that when 
he entered the parlor and saw Gayoso, he felt very 



192 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

sorry for him, his face was so worn and haggard 
from anxiety. The meeting did not result in much 
comfort to the Spaniard. Ellicott told him that 
there was nothing to do but to recognize the Com- 
mittee of Safety as representatives of the people. 
Gayoso did so. Carondelet had no money and but 
few soldiers ; so he was forced to approve what 
Gayoso had done. 

Questions. — i. Why was a treaty between Spain and the 
United States necessary in 1 795 ? 

2. What commercial privileges were granted to the Americans? 

3. How did Ellicott attempt to force the Spaniards to keep 
the treaty? 

4. How did the people of the Natchez district try to assert 
their rights? 



CHAPTER XXXIII 

THE LAST YEARS OF SPANISH RULE 

Carondelet was discouraged. He was devoted 
to the interests of his country, and it troubled him 
when he saw that Spain was losing her power in 
Louisiana. He had seen Spain yield to the clamor 
of the bold flatboatmen ; he had seen her fail in her 
efforts to induce the West to secede; he had seen the 
Americans compel her to keep the treaties of 1783 
and 1795; and he, the Baron de Carondelet, had 
been forced to approve Gayoso's action in recog- 
nizing the Committee of Safety as representatives 
of the people. But what could Carondelet do.? 
Nothing, unless he had troops and money. He 
wrote appealingly to Spain for help. He said that 
without the necessary funds and soldiers he could 
not make his government respected. Spain, how- 
ever, could not help him, for the king had spent 
all the money that he could raise to carry on his 
European wars. 

A rumor began to spread through the colony 
which made Carondelet all the more anxious and 
troubled. It was reported that France wished to 
regain Louisiana. Whether this report were true 

193 



194 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

or not, Carondelet at least saw enough to arouse his 
suspicions. An armed French vessel had been seen 
at the Balize. A French general, Collot, had visited 
the plantation home of M. de Bore. It was plain 
that General Collot had not come to Louisiana to 
learn how to make sugar. He spent most of his 
time in New Orleans visiting the forts, making plans 
of them, and drawing maps of the city. Carondelet 
had him arrested and sent to Philadelphia. 



5^^. 



OAjoy^B^ 




Autograph of Carondelet 

In 1797 Carondelet was sent to another colony. 
Like Miro, the baron felt the times were out of 
joint, and that he was not the man to set them 
right. 

Gayoso, who succeeded Carondelet as governor, 
did not take up his new duties with the feeling that 
he could make Spanish authority stronger in Loui- 
siana. The Spaniards still went through the form 
of holding the Natchez district. Colonel Charles 
Grandpre was appointed to fill Gayoso's place as 
commander at Natchez, but the Committee of 
Safety refused to permit him to take command. 
Soon afterward the Americans sent Captain Guion 



THE LAST YEARS OF SPANISH RULE 195 

to Natchez with a body of troops. Captain Guion 
was a kind-hearted man. He felt sorry for the 
Spaniards and did not want to wound their pride 
by ordering them to leave. The American officer 
hoped that they would give up the forts when 
they saw him in command. But the Spaniards 
stayed on, until at last Captain Guion sent word 
that they must leave in a certain time, and that if 
they did not do so, he would attack their forts. One 
night the Spaniards left so quietly that no one 
heard them. The next morning at daylight the 
Americans entered the deserted forts. 

The United States owned this country, and they 
now held it by force of arms. It was not long before 
Congress organized the Natchez district with the 
territory south of Tennessee, forming the Missis- 
sippi Territory. 

The citizens of New Orleans at this time were 
not sharing the gloomy feelings of the Spanish 
governor. Though fires had swept over the city, 
overflows had injured the crops, and a yellow fever 
epidemic had raged. New Orleans prospered ; for 
Spain did not attempt to enforce her unwise laws, 
and trade flowed through the gates of the city. It 
was a golden time for the Louisianians. Flatboats 
and trading vessels crowded the river front ; ware- 
houses were filled with rich cargoes from both East 
and West. Sales were quick and profitable. The 
Americans had established so many business houses 



196 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

in New Orleans that it became necessary to station 
a consul in the city to protect their interests, par- 
ticularly as the French on the Gulf had seized so 
many American vessels. 

The three years in which the citizens of the 
United States were to be allowed to store their 
goods in New Orleans drew to a close. Still busi- 
ness went blithely on. No doubt the time would be 
lengthened, so everybody thought. Suddenly the 
life and buzz and hum and whir of trade stopped. 
Spain had broken faith. An order was made in 
1798 that no more goods were to be brought to New 
Orleans. No other place for storage was fixed upon, 
as the treaty provided. The Westerners had never 
before been so aroused. They swore they would 
not endure such a breach of a nation's good faith. 
They pledged themselves that they would sail their 
boats on the Mississippi, and capture New Orleans, 
even if they had to withdraw from the Union and 
endanger the peace of the United States. Other 
States of the Union sympathized with the Western 
States, and so strong grew the feeling against Spain 
that John Adams, who was President at the time, 
sent three re2:iments to the Ohio, and ordered twelve 
more to be in readiness in case they should be 
needed. 

In 1798 Gayoso died suddenly. The next year 
Casa Calvo was sent to Louisiana to act as governor 
until one should be appointed. The American regi- 



THE LAST YEARS OF SPANISH RULE 197 



ments remained stationed on the Ohio, awaiting 
further orders. The Spaniards in Louisiana looked 
anxiously toward the North, not knowing at what 
moment the Kentuckians 
might come sweeping 
down the river. 

But the United States 
and Spain were not the 
only countries concerned 
about Louisiana. The at- 
tention of Napoleon Bona- 
parte, who had become the 
ruler of France, was di- 
rected to the fair province 
from which France had 
parted so lightly. He 
ordered his ministers to collect information relating 
to Louisiana. Pontalba, who had lived in Louisiana, 
prepared for Napoleon a paper giving a description 
of the province. Pontalba's journal was dazzling. 
Napoleon felt that he must have Louisiana. The 
province was needed as a stepping-stone for his 
future conquests. 




Napoleon Bonaparte 



Questions. — i . How were the Spaniards finally forced to leave 
Natchez? 

2. What act of Spain aroused hostility in the United States? 



CHAPTER XXXIV 

LOUISIANA CEDED TO THE UNITED STATES 

Napoleon had acquired the habit of getting what 
he wanted, and he made up his mind that he must 
have Louisiana. Spain valued Mexico much more 
highly than she did Louisiana. This Napoleon 
knew, and he also knew that the king of Spain feared 
the Americans. 

Napoleon told the Spanish king that Mexico would 
be much safer with a friendly power like France be- 
tween it and the Americans. The king was easily 
deceived. He told Napoleon that he would give 
Louisiana back to France if France would give him 
a certain province in Italy. Thus by a treaty made 
in 1800, the Louisianians, without their knowledge 
or consent, were again tossed over to another nation. 
It was agreed that the treaty be kept secret, for 
though Great Britain and France were not at war, 
Napoleon knew that if Great Britain heard that 
Louisiana belonged to France, she would slip in 
and take the province before he could send troops 
to protect it. 

Napoleon's ambition was to conquer the whole 
world, but Great Britain stood in his way. The 



LOUISIANA CEDED TO THE UNITED STATES 199 

British owned a powerful navy and had a very 
disagreeable way of sailing around to see what the 
French were doing. However, Napoleon thought 
that, with France owning Louisiana, it would be an 
easy matter to send French troops up the Missis- 
sippi, attack the British in Canada, and get back 
all that was lost in the French and Indian War. 
In order to carry out this plan, it was necessary 
that Great Britain should know nothing about it, 
and for this reason the treaty transferring Louisiana 
from Spain to France was kept secret for a whole 
year. 

When the news of the treaty between France and 
Spain reached the United States, it caused much 
excitement. The Americans did not want the French 
under such an ambitious man as Napoleon for neigh- 
bors. They determined to make an effort to purchase 
for their government the island of Orleans and the 
Floridas. Robert R. Livingston, a noted lawyer 
who was then the American minister to France, 
was instructed by the President to try to make the 
purchase. 

Livingston tried for a long time to get Talley- 
rand, Napoleon's great minister, to agree that France 
would sell the island of Orleans and the Florida 
country to the United States, but he did not suc- 
ceed. This shrewd minister was, in his way, as 
remarkable a man as Napoleon himself. No one 
could get him to tell what he did not want known. 



200 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

At last Livingston became uneasy. He thought 
Napoleon was turning over in his mind some plan 
against the peace of the United States. He wrote 
to his government to be on guard and watch the 
French. 

About this time the trouble between the Western- 
ers and the Spaniards over the use of the Mississippi 
broke out again. Sympathy with the Westerners 
was so strong in the United States Senate that a 
senator arose and said that it was well enough to 
try to bargain with France, but that it would be 
much better if the United States would seize Louisi- 
ana before Napoleon could land his army upon its soil. 
He then introduced resolutions claiming that the 
United States had a right to the use of the Missis- 
sippi ; that the American people had a right to 
deposit their goods at New Orleans or some other 
suitable place near by ; that the President of the 
United States should be given the power to seize 
such a place of deposit ; and that he should also be 
given the authority to call on the militia to hold the 
place when seized. A majority of the members of 
the Senate voted against taking such a decided step. 
It was finally agreed, however, that Congress should 
raise eighty thousand soldiers and hold them in readi- 
ness, in case they were needed. 

In the meanwhile, matters had not been going 
in a way to suit Napoleon. You cannot hold your 
hands too full. Napoleon at last found this out. 



LOUISIANA CEDED TO THE UNITED STATES 201 



He had been trying to keep Europe at his feet by 
invading foreign countries and by defeating the 
British navy; but his invading armies had been 
driven back, and Great Britain had crippled him on 
the ocean. These things set Napoleon to thinking, 
and Livingston was 
helping him to think. 
Livingston went so 
far as to say that his 
government would 
demand the cession 
of New Orleans and 
the Floridas. 

Such a statement 
sounded warlike, and 
Napoleon had too 
much on his hands 
just then to under- 
take a war with 
America. Livingston 
then told Napoleon that it would be better for 
France to have the friendship of the United States, 
for war was likely to break out between Great 
Britain and France, and should this happen. Great 
Britain might seize Louisiana, or help the United 
States to seize it. 

A short time after this conversation, Talleyrand 
came to Livingston and asked how much the 
United States would give for the whole of Louisiana. 




Desk on which the Transfer of 
Louisiana was Signed 



202 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

The whole of Louisiana! All of that vast, unknown 
territory from the Mississippi to the Rocky Moun- 
tains! Such a proposal nearly took Livingston's 
breath away. He could hardly think! He replied 
that the United States wanted only New Orleans, 
but he mentioned how much he thought that his 
government would give for the whole province. Liv- 
ingston cautiously added that he was only giving his 
opinion, as he had no authority from his government 
to buy all of Louisiana. Talleyrand smilingly re- 
marked that he had no authority to sell all of that 
vast domain, and that he had broached the subject to 
Livingston because the idea just happened to come 
into his head. 

But Talleyrand had evidently talked with Napo- 
leon about selling all of Louisiana to the United 
States. Before coming to a decision, Napoleon con- 
ferred with two of his other advisers. One of them 
was opposed to the plan. He told Napoleon that 
Louisiana was bound to become a wonderfully rich 
country ; that some day a canal would be dug across 
the Isthmus of Panama, and then New Orleans 
would be one of the most important ports in the 
whole world. The canal across Panama is now be- 
ing dug. Was not this adviser of Napoleon's a far- 
seeing man? 

Napoleon acknowledged to his advisers that he 
knew the value of New Orleans and Louisiana, but 
that he did not see how he could keep the province. 



LOUISIANA CEDED TO THE UNITED STATES 203 



The next morning news came that Great Britain 
was getting ready to make war on France. This 
news made Napoleon decide to sell Louisiana. 
In the mean- 
time, the Unit- 
ed States had 
sent James 
Monroe, who 
afterward be- 
came Presi- 
dent, to Paris 
to help Living- 
ston. A few 
days after his 
arrival, Mon- 
roe and Liv- 
ingston, while 
dining with 
other gentle- 
men at their residence, saw Marbois, one of the two 
advisers with whom Napoleon had conferred, walk- 
ing in the garden. Marbois was invited to come in, 
but declined, saying that he had private business 
with Livingston and Monroe, and would see them 
after the company had withdrawn. That evening he 
returned and offered to sell the whole of Louisiana 
to the United States. The American commissioners 
hardly knew what to say, as they had not been told 
to buy so much. Napoleon was now so eager to 




Signing the Treaty 

From the Louisiana Purchase Monument at St. Louis 



204 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

seU the whole province that he would not wait for 
Livingston and Monroe to write home to find out 
what they should do. 

It was clear that if they did not buy the province 
for their government, it would be sold to some other 
nation. Monroe and Livingston therefore acted on 
their judgment and bought Louisiana. With the 
Yankee instinct for making a good bargain, they hag- 
gled over the price, and finally agreed to give 
fifteen million dollars. The treaty of sale was 
signed on the 30th of April, 1803. When it was 
signed, Livingston looked at the names, Livingston 
and Monroe, on which the ink was still wet. " We 
have lived long," he said, " but this is the noblest 
work of our lives." 

Questions. — i. What change in the ownership of Louisiana 
province occurred in 1800? In 1803? 

2. Why was the transfer of 1800 kept secret for a year? 

3. Why was the U^nited States anxious to own New Orleans? 

4. What were Livingston and Monroe's instructions when they 
were sent to Paris? 

5. What did they actually do? 

6. What price did the United States pay for the Louisiana 
province? 

7. When was the sale made? 

8. Tell what you know about Napoleon Bonaparte. 



CHAPTER XXXV 

THE FORMAL TRANSFER OF LOUISIANA 

The treaty of sale between the United States 
and France, you have just learned, was signed 
April 30, 1803. A few weeks before this time 
M. Laussat landed at New Orleans. 

Napoleon had sent him to receive Louisiana from 
Spain. Napoleon knew that France would hold 
the province but a short time, but M. Laussat did 
not know it. The French commissioner had formed 
great plans of what he was going to do for Loui- 
siana. He would first get immigrants into the 
country. Then he would so improve and build 
up the province that it would prove a glory to 
France and reflect honor upon the governor, who 
probably would be a gentleman bearing the name 
of Laussat. 

Salcedo, who had been appointed governor of 
Louisiana by Spain after Gayoso's death, received 
Laussat with great ceremony. Governor Salcedo 
and the New Orleans society people of that day en- 
tertained the French commissioner and his lovely 
wife with dinners and balls. These entertainments 
were so magnificent that a writer of that period 

205 



2o6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

said that they seemed to him like fairyland ; that 
the " cities of France could offer nothing more 
brilliant." Monsieur and Madame Laussat returned 
the hospitality of the Louisianians, keeping New 
Orleans in a mad whirl of feasting, music, and 
dancing. 

At one of the beautiful balls given in honor of 
the' wife of the French commissioner, while the 
guests were eating supper, a turtledove hopped 
down from a bunch of roses in front of Madame 
Laussat. In his little beak he held a piece of folded 
paper. When Madame Laussat opened it, she saw 
a verse written to herself, saying that she was sen- 
sible and good and beautiful, and altogether charm- 
ing, without being vain. 

Yet the Louisiana women were as charming and 
as good to look upon as the fair Frenchwoman. The 
Creoles had clear, pale complexions, red lips, dark 
hair and eyes, and graceful figures. Their elegant 
robes were ornamented with flowers and embroid- 
ery, — that picturesque touch being given to the 
toilets which is the birthright of most women with 
French blood in their veins. 

Laussat and the Spanish officials and the leading 
citizens made a great many speeches. Laussat told 
the people that when Louisiana had been given to 
Spain, a wicked king had been on the throne of 
France, but now the great Napoleon was at the 
head of the nation. Napoleon, he said, was as just 



THE FORMAL TRANSFER OF LOUISIANA 207 

as he was great, and remembered that the Louisian- 
ians were French, and would protect the province 
and put it under good laws. 

In reply, the planters and citizens of New Or- 
leans said that they were glad to become citizens of 
F'rance, but at the same time they must own that 
with the exception of O'Reilly they had no com- 
plaint to make against the Spanish governors. 
These gentlemen said, furthermore, that they hoped 
that the Spaniards would be allowed to keep all the 
property they owned in Louisiana. 

Laussat was disappointed in the Louisianians. 
They had opened their larders and wine cellars to 
him, and were boon companions, but they had not 
shown the enthusiasm he had expected at the idea 
of passing into the hands of France. Laussat had 
in his mind the Louisianians of Lafreniere's day. 

But in the thirty-five years that lay between 1768 
and 1803, the Louisianians had gained a good many 
ideas of the worth of self-government. The Span- 
ish governors had been so indulgent that they had 
scarcely felt that they were under foreign rule. 
The Spaniards had intermarried with the colonists, 
and were, as the Louisianians said, their brothers. 
The Louisianians still loved France as the home of 
their ancestors, but they did not like the idea of 
passing without their consent into the hands of any 
country, even though it were France, their mother 
country. Then, too, the instinct of self-protection 



2o8 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

made the Louisianians fear Napoleon ; and Napo- 
leon was so great that his word meant the word of 
France. 

Since De Bore's discovery that sugar could be 
made with profit in Louisiana, many planters had 
come into the colony to plant cane. This of course 
meant more negroes. Napoleon had set all the 
negroes free in San Dominoro. " Whatever be 
your color," he had caused to be proclaimed, " you 
are free! " It was feared that Napoleon might take 
the same course in Louisiana. If he did, the coun- 
try would be ruined. 

But neither the fears of the Louisianians nor the 
ambitions of Laussat had any part in the schemes 
of the mighty Napoleon. In a few months news 
reached the colonists that Louisiana had been sold 
to the United States. Laussat was ordered to re- 
ceive the province from Spain, and to hold it until 
the United States should send commissioners to 
receive it. On the 30th of November, 1803, Laus- 
sat met Governor Salcedo and Casa Calvo in the 
old Cabildo. The representatives of Spain deliv- 
ered the province to the representative of France. 
The keys of the city were given to Laussat, and 
Casa Calvo announced that Louisiana was a pos- 
session of France. The Spanish flag was lowered, 
and the French flag went up. 

Laussat again made a speech. It was much like 
the former one, only now Laussat told the people 



THE FORMAL TRANSFER OF LOUISIANA 209 

what a glorious privilege it was to become a part 
of the American republic. The Louisianians lis- 
tened without interest. They knew that in a few 
days they would be again transferred — this time 
to the United States, when they would again see 
the same ceremonies. 

Laussat appointed a council to take the place of 
the Cabildo. Etienne de Bore was made mayor of 
New Orleans. When the Spanish troops left Loui- 
siana, young Americans and Creoles formed a com- 
pany under the command of Daniel Clark, the 
American consul. They patrolled the city day and 
night, and kept order until the American commis- 
sioners should come. 

Thomas Jefferson, President of the United 
States, had appointed William C. C. Claiborne, 
governor of the Mississippi Territory, and General 
James Wilkinson, commander of the American 
army, as commissioners to receive the new pur- 
chase. In the latter part of November in this 
same year of 1803, the commissioners, with a body 
of troops, camped two miles outside of New Orleans. 
On a bright morning, December 20, the city was 
in great commotion about the Place d'Armes, for 
at noon that day the province was to be turned over 
to the United States. 

At the appointed time Governor Claiborne and 
General Wilkinson rode up to the square, followed 
by infantry and cannoneers. The militia was drawn 



2IO 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



up on one side of the square to receive the commis- 
sioners. The American troops were drawn up on 
the opposite side. 

The prefect, Laussat, ^ind a number of citizens 
went into the Cabildo. Laussat sat in the chair of 
honor, with Governor Claiborne on his right and 




The Place D'Armes 



General Wilkinson on his left. After the necessary 
legal papers were read, Laussat delivered the keys 
of the city to Governor Claiborne. The commis- 
sioners and Laussat then walked out on the gallery 
facing the square. Governor Claiborne addressed 
the Louisianians as his fellow-citizens. He made a 
fine speech, but it was lost on his hearers, as he 
spoke in English and they understood only French. 
At the end of Claiborne's address, the French flag 
was lowered, and the flag of the United States 



THE FORMAL TRANSFER OF LOUISIANA 211 

raised. As the two flags met halfway, salutes were 
fired, and then the flag of France went down and 
the Stars and Stripes floated over the people. 
Louisiana had now formally become a territory of 
the United States. 

Questions. — i. Find out how long Spain had owned Louisiana. 

2. Describe the ceremonies in New Orleans at the transfer 
from Spain to France. 

3. Describe the transfer to the United States. 



^^..^ ^^^^^t.^. 



cryuJZ S 



Autograph of Governor Claiborne 



CHAPTER XXXVI 

TERRITORY OF ORLEANS 

Livingston and Monroe, you have learned, were 
not given authority to buy the whole of Louisiana. 
After the purchase was made. President J-efferson 
explained to Congress why the two American minis- 
• ters had bought the whole territory. Jefferson laid 
before Congress the treaty of cession, and asked the 
Senate to approve it, for unless the Senate ap- 
proves a treaty, it does not become effective. 

Louisiana became a bone of contention between 
the members of Congress. Some of the senators 
were horrified that any body of sensible men should 
think of approving such a purchase. To buy that 
"great unbounded world," they said, was the great- 
est curse that could befall tlie United States. 
Rather than see Louisiana become a part of their 
country, they would gladly give the province to any 
nation on the face of the earth that would take it. 
Any one could foresee, they argued, that Louisiana 
was too far from the capital of the United States to 
feel any loyalty to the Union. Moreover, the time 
would come when the Louisianians and the West- 
erners would unite, form a Qrovernmcnt of their own, 
and leave the Union. 



TERRITORY OF ORLEANS 213 

But, the opponents of the purchase added, what 
was the use of talking ? It -was contrary to the 
Constitution to make the purchase, so that ended 
the matter. Fortunately for our country, a majority 
of the senators did not think that way. Senator 
Breckenridge made a splendid speech in reply to the 
members opposed to the purchase. He was a Ken- 
tuckian who knew Louisiana and the Louisianians, 
while to the senators from the East Louisiana really 
was a " great, unbounded world." Breckenridge said 
that it was one of the most wonderful acts of any 
government to gain all that vast territory without 
one drop of bloodshed, and without injury to a 
single person. Breckenridge likewise insisted that 
since it was lawful to acquire land east of the Missis- 
sippi, it was lawful to acquire it west of the river. 
After more talk on both sides, the Senate approved 
the treaty, and Congress passed a bill to provide the 
money with which to pay for Louisiana. 

Congress decided that, as citizens of the United 
States, the Louisianians were entitled to the enjoy- 
ment of life, liberty, property, and religion, but that 
as yet the Louisianians were not capable of self- 
government. Therefore, in March, 1804, the Loui- 
siana Territory was divided into two parts, called the 
District of Louisiana and the Orleans Territory. 
The Orleans Territory was the part that afterward 
became the present State of Louisiana, and all that 
need concern us just now. 



214 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



In the same year President Jefferson appointed 
Claiborne governor of Orleans Territory. He was 
the first American governor to rule over Louisiana. 
Governor Claiborne soon found that he had come 
among a disappointed and discontented people. 

The L o u i s i a n i a n s 
thought that according 
to the treaty of cession 
they should govern 
themselves, and were in- 
dignant at the power 
given the American 
go vernor. Claiborne 
appointed all the civil 
and military officers ex- 
cept those named by 
the President. While 
there was a legislative 
council to make the laws, Governor Claiborne selected 
the members of this council. Then after the laws 
were made, they had to be submitted to Congress. 
If Congress approved of the Louisiana laws, they 
went into effect ; but if Congress did not approve 
them, new ones had to be made. 

There were a Superior Court and lower courts. 
Here, too, the Louisianians were deprived of all con- 
trol, for the naming of the officers of courts rested 
in the hands of the President and the Senate. The 
American Congress had also cut the vast Louisiana 




Thomas Jefferson 



TERRITORY OF ORLEANS 215 

Territory into two parts without the consent of the 
people ! 

It was made unlawful to bring in slaves from 
foreign countries. A harder blow than this could 
scarcely have been dealt the Louisiana planters. 
The trade laws of Ulloa were not much worse ! 
Where was all the boasted freedom of the United 
States? the Louisianians indignantly asked. Where 
were the liberties they were to enjoy under the 
American government ? The dissatisfied people 
looked back with regret to the days of the Spanish 
governors, under whose gentle rule they had lived 
thirty-four years. 

Governor Claiborne had a hard task before him. 
It was his difficult mission to mold into one people 
two races of different ideas, language, and religion. 
The Louisianians and the Westerners, as you have 
seen, got along well together during Spanish rule, 
but at that time the situation was different. It was 
then only a matter of trade. Now the Americans 
had purchased the province itself, and the Louisiani- 
ans, sore at the thought of being sold, were suspi- 
cious, quick to take offense, and deeply resentful of 
the conduct of the Americans. 

Governor Claiborne was himself disliked because 
he did not speak French and because he surrounded 
himself with officials of American birth ; yet the Cre- 
oles refused to hold office when it was offered to them. 

The meeting of Americans and Louisianians on 



2i6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

the streets of New Orleans led to disputes which 
were followed by quarrels, and the quarrels by duels. 
Even social gatherings had their quarrels. One 
Sunday night at a ball — the balls were always 
given on Sunday night in those days — a French 
and an English dance were formed at the same time. 
An American went up to the musician and was 
about to give him a beating because the English 
dance was not formed first. Governor Claiborne 
quieted the uproar. which followed, and persuaded 
his countrymen to allow the French dance to begin. 
The "American had been quieted only for the mo- 
ment. He got a party of dancers together and 
started an English dance. Some one cried out : 
"If the women have a single drop of French blood 
in their veins, they will not dance ! " At these 
words every woman in the room disappeared, nor 
did any of them return. 

At another ball. General Wilkinson began sing- 
ing " Hail Columbia," and was joined by all of his 
staff. Immediately the French roared forth " En- 
fants de la Patrie ! " Each crowd tried to out-sing 
the other, but Governor Claiborne finally quieted 
them. The next day the Americans invited the 
Frenchmen to a banquet, and they good-naturedly 
accepted. 

The most serious cause of discontent in Louisiana 
was the confusion in the courts. The country had 
been governed by the French and Spanish laws, and 



TERRITORY OF ORLEANS 217 

these were not understood by the American lawyers. 
On the other hand, the trial by jury was new to the 
Louisianians. The cases before the courts were 
tried in both English and French. Some parts of 
the trial were translated, but not the arguments 
of the lawyers. The case was opened in Eng- 
lish. While the American lawyer was speaking, 
the French jurymen went out and smoked. The 
defense was made in French, Then the Americans 
on the jury went out and smoked. At the end of 
the argument the jury went into a room to decide 
upon their verdict. The French and American 
jurors talked with all their might, neither side un- 
derstanding the other; but, strange to say, the jury 
always came to a satisfactory agreement. 

There were many wrongs to right, much distrust 
to be overcome; yet in this unsettled time it was 
fortunate for the Louisianians that their governor 
was a man whom they could respect and trust. 

Questions. — i. What do you think of the arguments in Con- 
gress against the purchase of Louisiana? Think of these argu- 
ments in the hght of conditions as they were in 1803. 

2. How was Louisiana governed when it became a Territory of 
the United States? 

3. Explain why the Americans and the Louisianians did not 
get along easily together. 



CHAPTER XXXVII 

THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE IN 1803 

Where was this land, and what kind of people were 
they over whom there were such fierce disputes? 

The United States senators knew that the Rocky 
Mountains cut across the pathless wilderness which 
trailed off from the Mississippi toward the west. 
Exactly where they were, no one could tell. Nor 
could any one give the boundary of Louisiana to the 
north or south. It was only known that in the for- 
ests of this great unexplored country lived thousands 
of Indians as untamed as the animals they hunted. 

Many senators thought that President Jefferson 
had been foolish to pay fifteen million dollars for 
such a territory. It did not bring them comfort to 
know that white people lived on a part of the pur- 
chase. They thought that the Creoles understood 
so little about American government that it would 
be dangerous to let them share it. 

If one of the senators had visited Louisiana in 
1803, he would have changed his mind in regard to 
many matters. He would have found that, while 
the Louisianians spoke French, sent their sons to 

218 



THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE IN 1803 219 

France to be educated, and loved their mother 
country, they were not Frenchmen. They were a 
people made from a union of two races on American 
soil. They were under the influence of French and 
Spanish laws, customs, and beliefs, but at the same 
time they were a part of their American surround- 
ings and of the time in which they lived. Thus, 
while the Louisianians were different from the peo- 
ple in other States of the Union, the government 
had no need to fear them. They were a quiet, slow- 
moving, law-abiding people, thoroughly satisfied with 
themselves and their way of living. They w^ere not 
at all anxious to mingle with people from other 
States, except for purposes of trade. 

In 1803 New Orleans had about ten thousand in- 
habitants. It was becoming one of the chief seaports 
of the United States. In that one year it shipped 
two million dollars' worth of cotton, sugar, molasses, 
and tobacco, and imported from the West even more 
than that amount of flour, beans, corn, meal, butter, 
hams, lard, and other produce. 

New Orleans was not a well-kept city in those 
days. The streets were very poorly lighted, and 
were muddy and dirty. The citizens preferred to 
place their pride in their homes, many of which were 
very handsome. They had large rooms, wide halls, 
and broad galleries. Roses were everywhere, climb- 
ing across the window sills, over the garden walls, 
and up the galleries, and the air was sweet with the 



220 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

perfume of the orange, oleander, myrtle, and mag- 
nolia blossoms. 

The life that the Creoles led was much gayer than 
that of other cities. No one was in a hurry to 
become rich. The people were content to live 
simply and inexpensively, and to take time for enjoy- 
ment. The Louisianians, then as now, were fond of 
dancing. There was frequently so much mud and 
water in the streets that carriages could not be used, 
but this did not keep the Creole belles from a ball. 
They tucked up their skirts, put on heavy shoes, 
and, skillfully balancing themselves on the rickety 
board banquettes, set out with light hearts for the 
dance. Two slaves went in front bearing a lantern, 
and two followed behind carrying the satin slippers, 
the ivory fan, and other articles that their mistress 
would need at the ball. 

The women of that day were not well educated. 
The girls were taught first of all to be gracious and 
charming. Writers tell us that they were very apt 
pupils, and were sensible and quick-witted, though 
they knew very little about school books. 

Most of the people of the province lived in New 
Orleans and the southern parishes. The settlement 
farthest north was at Natchitoches, and was made 
by St. Denis. 

One of Louisiana's historians, Mr. Gayarre, has 
given an interesting account of life on his grand- 
father's plantation. His grandfather was Etienne 



THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE IN 1803 221 

de Bore, the man to whom sugar planters owe so 
much. All the plantations in the province were 
managed very much like that of M. de Bore. 

The Bore plantation was about six miles above 
New Orleans. The house, with its wide halls and 
galleries, was cool and roomy, and was shaded by 




A Typical Louisiana Home of the Early Nineteenth Century 



grand old oaks that led to the tlower garden and 
orchard. Beyond were the fields of waving sugar- 
cane. Over all was a feeling of order, contentment, 
and simple plenty. The plantation was like a little 
kingdom in which the master was king. 

Very little was bought on the Bore plantation, 
but a great deal was sold. Large herds of cattle 
and flocks of sheep were raised. There were hun- 



2 22 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

dreds of geese, ducks, turkeys, chickens, and guinea 
fowls. Eggs were gathered by the bushel. Only 
one month in the year — the month of August — 
was the big pigeon house empty of squabs. Two 
women were kept busy from morning to night 
patting the golden butter into shape, molding 
cream cheese, and putting clabber and buttermilk 
into pans and bottles. There were vegetables of 
every kind in their season. Fish and shrimp were 
caught in the river, and in the woods " possums " 
fattened for sweet-potato time. There was no 
danger of starving on the Bore plantation. 

Every morning at daylight carts were loaded with 
the produce and sent to the markets in New Orleans. 
In this way M. de Bore made thousands of dollars 
each year. Besides this, he made much money from 
his sugar. 

The doors of the wide hall stood open to welcome 
guests and wayfarers. No friend or stranger passed 
in his travels up or down the coast without being 
invited to share the hospitality of the plantation. 

But there was a dark side of which few people 
ever thought. As there was so much money to 
be made in cultivating cane, many people bought 
plantations in Louisiana. The next thing that they 
did was to import slaves to work the crops. Ship- 
load after shipload of negroes was brought into the 
State for this purpose. A few thinking people be- 
lieved that slavery was not right, and some day 



THE LAND AND THE PEOPLE IN 1803 223 

would bring trouble to the white people. After a 
lonof time the trouble came. 




The Old Markets, New Orleans 

Questions. — i. What were the chief exports of New Orleans 
in 1803? 

2. What produce was imported? What reasons can you give 
for the importing of these goods? 

3. Where were the settlements in Orleans Territory? 

4. Tell all you can of the homes and the people in New Orleans 
at this period. 

5. Tell something about life on a plantation. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII 



WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE 



The Louisianians continued to be dissatisfied with 
the new government. They claimed that the United 
States had not kept faith, for, they said, the treaty 
of cession had promised them self-government. 
They were so dissatisfied that they sent delegates 
to Washington with a petition to Congress asking 
that Louisiana be made a State. 

Congress stood aghast at such a proposal ! Some 
of the members were charitable enough to say that 
the Louisianians must be very ignorant to make 
such an unreasonable request. The petition was 
written in French, a language the congressmen 
could not read. Therefore, they asked, what could 
Louisiana, whose inhabitants were French, Spanish, 
West Indians, negroes, mulattoes, a few untaught 
Americans, and a mixture of all these races, know 
of free American institutions ? One member ven- 
tured his opinion that the few sensible people who 
were in Louisiana would look upon self-government 
in that Territory with distrust, as it would be danger- 
ous to try such an experiment with so ignorant a 
people. 

224 



WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE 



225 



Though the Louisiana delegates did not succeed 
altogether in their mission, they did not entirely 
fail. President Jefferson and most of the members 
of Congress wanted to give the Louisianians some 
rights of self-government, but they were not will- 
ing, just then, to admit 
Louisiana into the Union 
as a State. A law was 
therefore passed by Con- 
gress providing that the 
Territory of Orleans should 
be governed much like the 
Mississippi Territory, which 
had not yet been admitted 
into the Union as a State. 
Though the delegates were 
disappointed, they felt that 
something had been gained, 
and they had reason to feel so. 

You will remember that the members of the leg- 
islative council that made the laws for Louisiana 
were chosen by Governor Claiborne. For the gov- 
ernor to choose the lawmakers was putting a great 
deal of power in the hands of one man. Under the 
new law that Congress passed, the people were to 
elect the representatives to the legislature, which 
was to consist of twenty-five members. Like the 
legislature of to-day, there were to be two houses, 
the Senate and the House of Representatives. But 



^^^■^/^^^^l 











William C. C. Claiborne 



226 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

members of the Senate were not to be elected di- 
rectly by the people, as they are to-day. The House 
of Representatives, elected by the people, was to 
send the names of ten of its members to the Pres- 
ident of the United States. From this number the 
President, with the consent of the Senate of the 
United States, selected five men to compose the 
Senate of the Louisiana legislature. The President 
of the United States was also given the right to re- 
move a member of the Louisiana Senate whenever 
he saw fit. 

The United States further promised the people of 
the Orleans Territory that they should be admitted 
as a State, with rights equal to the other States of 
the Union, as soon as the Territory had sixty thou- 
sand inhabitants. 

The Louisianians were still dissatisfied. They did 
not think that the new laws gave them sufficient 
self-government. They did not see why the United 
States should interfere with their right to manage 
their own affairs. 

Governor Claiborne, in writing to the President 
of the discontent of the people, approved of what 
Conorress had done. He wrote that he thouoht that 
the Louisianians had been given all the power that 
they had any right to expect, and all that they 
should be trusted with at that time. The governor 
was an honest man and always advised what he 
thought was best. The trouble was that he had 



WILLIAM C. C. CLAIBORNE 227 

come among a people who were different in their 
ideas and training from any he had ever known, 
and consequently he did not understand them. For 
this reason he sometimes made mistakes. 

The Louisianians were always ready to find fault 
with Governor Claiborne. They made many dis- 
agreeable remarks about him, and the newspapers 
criticised him for almost everything he did. Clai- 
borne, though only twenty-eight years old when he 
came to Louisiana as governor, had the good sense 
and self-control to make no reply to whatever was 
said against him. He quietly did his duty as he 
saw it. 

On one occasion there was a difference of opin- 
ion between the council and the governor. The 
council hotly stated that it was not a baby's rattle, 
— a thing to amuse the governor, — and that if Clai- 
borne was going to have his own way in every- 
thing, the council might as well dissolve. Claiborne 
answered in a brave, manly spirit. It was natural, 
he said, that there should be differences of opinion, 
but he felt sure that he and the council had the 
same end in view, since they both had the good of 
the people at heart. Nevertheless, he added, he 
must act as he thought best. 

Governor Claiborne did not think the Louisi- 
anians should be allowed to govern themselves, for 
they had lived only under either French or Spanish 
rule, and did not know American laws. Time would 



228 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

prove whether they could manage their own govern- 
ment, and meanwhile he did not think that they 
should have more power than Congress had given. 
There was still another reason why Governor 
Claiborne did not think that the Louisianians 
should be ijiven self-o'overnment : he did not trust 
them. He could not understand how people who 
were not Americans could feel loyal to America. 
Claiborne knew that the Creoles liked the Span- 
iards and were kin to many of them. He feared that 
the Creoles and Spaniards might join together and 
attempt to capture New Orleans. What made him 
the more anxious was that so few Spaniards had left 
Louisiana when it ceased to be a province of Spain. 
Everybody thought that they would do so, yet they 
seemed to have no desire to leave. Claiborne had 
no proof that the Spaniards intended doing harm. 
Therefore he quietly watched them, and in the 
meantime tried to win the good-will of the people. 

Questions. — i. What rights in the government of the Terri- 
tory were the people given? 

2. What was the condition on which Louisiana could be ad- 
mitted to the Union as a State ? 

3. Tell what you have read about Governor Claiborne in the 
last three chapters : 

(i) His part in the transfer of the province. 

(2) His official positions. 

(3) His relations with the people. 

(4) His personal characteristics. 



CHAPTER XXXIX 

THE FLORIDAS 

Several times mention has been made of the 
Floridas. There were two Floridas, East Florida 
and West Florida. East Florida was the present 
State of Florida and extended to the Perdido River. 
West Florida extended from the Perdido to the 
Mississippi River. The southern limit of both Flori- 
das was the Gulf of Mexico, and the northern limit 
was the thirty-first parallel of north latitude. (See 
the map on page 189.) 

Both the United States and Spain claimed West 
Florida and the country about Natchitoches. The 
United States claimed that when Louisiana was 
bought from France, West Florida, as far as Mobile, 
was included in the treaty of cession. Spain in- 
sisted that she had never given West Florida to 
France, and that, therefore, France could not have 
sold it to the United States. As neither the United 
States nor Spain would give up its claim, the 
United States sent James Monroe to Spain to settle 
the dispute. It was hoped that Monroe and Pinck- 
ncy, the American minister at the Spanish court, 
would be able to settle the question in a friendly 

229 



230 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

way. But the only idea that the Americans had of 
arranging the matter was that of gaining the terri- 
tory. Spain, too, had the same idea. 

Monroe, on his way to Spain, wrote to Talleyrand, 
asking his opinion on the subject. Talleyrand, you 
will remember, had been active in bringing about 
the sale of Louisiana. He replied to Monroe's letter, 
stating that Spain had never given up West Florida ; 
that France had tried to get both Floridas, but that 
Spain had refused to part with them. 

When Monroe reached Spain, the two American 
ministers and the Spanish ministers took the treaty 
between France and Spain, and for days studied it 
most carefully. The ministers of both countries 
argued and argued, but could not come to an agree- 
ment. Each side still claimed W^est Florida. 

President Jefferson did not think it wise to urge 
the American claim. He did not think the United 
States was in a condition to go to war with Spain on 
account of it. Besides, there was no pressing need 
for the territory. He therefore concluded to wait and 
see what time would do toward settling the question. 

Though the American governor had firm hold at 
New Orleans, some of the Spanish officials still 
lingered. Casa Calvo remained in New Orleans. 
He was a charming man, and was welcomed at the 
homes of the best people. He excused himself to 
the governor for not leaving by saying that he daily 
expected orders to assist in fixing the boundary line 



THE FLORIDAS 231 

between the United States and Mexico. Claiborne 
did not believe the statement, especially when re- 
ports came to hini that the elegant Casa Calvo was 
quietly attempting to make the Louisianians dissat- 
isfied with the United States government. The 
governor was made all the more uneasy by these 
reports, because the Spaniards had strengthened 
their forces. The Spanish troops in West Florida 
and Pensacola numbered nine hundred men ; those 
in the fort at Baton Rouge numbered two hundred, 
and those at Mobile about eighty, while it was said 
that Spain had sent more troops to Texas. 

The tables had turned since the days of Carondelet. 
It was not now a case of the Americans worrying 
a Spanish governor, but a case of the Spaniards 
causing sleepless nights to an American governor. 

Still, the Spaniards had no need to boast. West 
Florida was full of Americans who would neither 
leave the country nor let the Spanish inhabitants 
live in peace. These Americans had become all the 
more restless under Spanish control, because they 
saw American rule so near them — in Louisiana 
and Mississippi. They believed that West Florida 
belonged to the United States, and were indignant 
that their country did not claim her own. Constant 
quarrels and disturbances arose between the Span- 
iards and the Americans. It did not cause a more 
kindly feeling between the two races when Governor 
Claiborne at last asked Casa Calvo to leave Loui- 



232 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

siana. A strong desire to become a part of the 
American republic, like their neighbors in Missis- 
sippi and Louisiana, made the Americans in West 
Florida determined to drive out the Spaniards. 

About two hundred armed men gathered together 
with the intention of attacking the Spanish fort in 
Baton Rouge. The leaders did not agree, and the 
attempt fell through. The Spaniards, of course, 
tried to seize the leaders. Most of them escaped to 
the Mississippi Territory, but the Spaniards suc- 
ceeded in catching three — the Kemper brothers. 
They treated the Kempers very cruelly. While 
taking the brothers down the Mississippi to Baton 
Rouge, to put them into prison, they were seen by 
a negr(5, as they turned a bend in the river. The 
negro ran across the country to Pointe Coupee, 
where an American regiment was stationed, and 
told the commander. The commander took a body 
of troops and went to the rescue of the Americans. 
He captured the boat and set the brothers free. 

There was trouble all the time in West Florida, 
and Spain and the United States each left the 
people to fight their own battles. 

West Florida was a tempting bit of territory 
which caught the attention of the old foes of the 
Spaniards up the river. Nothing better suited the 
daring Kentuckians than to dash toward the south 
and drive the Spaniards out of the country. There 
was nothing to prevent their making this trial. The 



THE FLORIDAS 233 

center of the United States government lay beyond 
the far-away mountains ; too far for power to be 
brought to stop the Kentuckians, whose Hfe in the 
forest made them ahiiost a law unto themselves. 
The scheme appealed to their lawless hearts. Aaron 
Burr, a shrewd and unprincipled man, felt the fever- 
ish beat of the Westerners' pulse. He had been 
Vice President of the United States, but had lost 
his hold upon the people of the East by killing a 
man in a duel. Coming West, he put himself in 
close touch with the people. They, not fully under- 
standing his deeply laid plans, chose him for their 
leader. 

Questions. — i. What States now include the Territory of 
West Florida? 

2. What part of the present Louisiana was in West Florida? 
What important city? 

3. What was the dispute between the United States and Spain 
regarding West Florida? Explain it. 

4. Describe the condition of the Americans in West Florida. 



CHAPTER XL 

AARON BURR 

In 1805 a gay little barge came floating down the 
Mississippi and landed at New Orleans. For years 
Indian canoes, light barques of the early pioneers, 
and loaded flatboats of the Westerners had glided 
southward with the river's current.; but the old river 
had borne upon its yellow waters nothing like this 
floating palace. Carpets covered the floors ; silken 
coverlets were on the downy beds, and costly silver 
and tableware added to the attractiveness of the 
well-served meals. 

The owner of the cozy house boat was Colonel 
Aaron Burr, who had come to pay a visit to New 
Orleans. The master of the barge was as elegant as 
his surroundings. Colonel Burr was about middle 
height, but he carried himself with so much dignity 
and grace that he appeared to be taller. His face 
was very intellectual, and he had piercing dark eyes 
which could become tender and sweet when he 
willed them so. He wore black velvet knee breeches, 
a coat with lace rulTfles at the wrist, a shirt with 
ruffles down the front, black silk stockings, and 
low shoes with silver buckles. He had the easy 
and gracious air of a man who had mingled with 

234 



AARON BURR 235 

the best people ; and so he had, for he had been an 
officer in the war in which the Americans threw 
off the yoke of Great Britain ; he had been a mem- 
ber of the United States Senate, and Vice Presi- 
dent of the United States. 

There was much talk about war between the 
United States and Spain, growing out of the dis- 
satisfaction caused by Spain's claiming territory 
within the United States. Everybody knew that 
should such a war come, New Orleans would be a 
very important point for military movements on ac- 
count of its being so near Texas. A society had 
been formed in the city for the purpose of finding 
out what the Spaniards were doing in Texas and 
Mexico. This society welcomed Burr, for it was 
supposed that so prominent a man as Colonel Burr 
had the confidence of his government, and that he 
had been sent to New Orleans to study its position 
and learn all that he could concerninor the move- 

CD 

ments of the Spaniards. New Orleans received her 
distinguished guest with open arms. Balls, dinners, 
receptions, and theater parties were given in his 
honor. New Orleans was too polite to ask her 
visitor why he had come. 

Burr was not very frank in giving his reasons 
for visiting New Orleans. He let it be understood, 
however, that his purpose was to attempt to capture 
Texas and Mexico for the United States, should war 
break out with Spain. 



236 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

About a year after Burr's visit to New Orleans, 
rumors spread through the entire United States 
that some dark, deep plot was being laid to over- 
throw the government, and that the plotters would 
assemble in large numbers at New Orleans. No- 
body could tell anything positive about the plot, 
but all were greatly excited over it. General 
Wilkinson wrote to Governor Claiborne: "You are' 
surrounded by dangers of which you dream not," 
and it did not add to Claiborne's peace of mind when 
the general continued: "The storm will probably 
burst in New Orleans." General Wilkinson wrote 
also to President Jefferson of a " wicked conspiracy 
which took in the old and the young," and which, 
he feared, " would receive support in New Orleans." 

From the Atlantic to the Mississippi the whole 
country was thrown into a fever of excitement and 
dread. President Jefferson sent out a proclamation 
warning the citizens of the United States that a 
plot had been formed against the government and 
commanding them to have nothing to do with it. 
He ordered all of the officers of the army and navy 
to be watchful, and begged the good people every- 
where to help him discover the men who were so 
disloyal as to enter into the conspiracy. 

Governor Claiborne felt very uneasy, the more so 
because he did not trust the Creoles. Near the end 
of the year 1806 he called a meeting of the mer- 
chants and other prominent citizens of New Orleans. 



AARON BURR 



237 



He was then able to name the man who was accused 
of being the leader of the plot against the peace of 
the country — it was Aaron Burr, who had been in 
the past year a guest of the city. The governor told 
those who had gathered 
at the meeting that 
Colonel Burr would soon 
come down the river with 
two thousand men ; that 
four thousand more from 
among the Westerners 
were ready to join him ; 
and that it was reported 
that a thousand men 
in New Orleans would 
support him when he 
reached the city. He 
also told his hearers that Burr's scheme was to cap- 
ture New Orleans, to conquer Texas and Mexico, 
seize the territory of the United States west of the 
Alleghany Mountains, and unite all these countries 
into one mighty empire, with himself as the ruler. 

Governor Claiborne asked the citizens to help him 
and General Wilkinson to defend the city. The 
answer was that they would do all in their power. 
The merchants of the city promised to fit out ves- 
sels to meet Burr as he came clown the river. 

Some months later the Legislative Council met, 
and, in the name of Louisiana, declared loyalty to 




General James Wilkinson 



238 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

the United States. While the people throughout 
the country were keeping up their spirits by making 
patriotic speeches, yet growing somewhat nervous 
over the expected bloody conflict, Colonel Burr, with 
a party of friends, was sailing down the Mississippi 
for the purpose of settling on lands which Burr 
owned on the Ouachita River in Louisiana. The 
party stopped at Natchez. Here Burr was per- 
suaded to go to the capital of Mississippi and an- 
swer the charges against him. He was tried and 
declared innocent. Later, at Richmond, Virginia, 
He was tried for treason against the United States. 
Again he was acquitted. 

For a long time nearly everybody believed that 
Aaron Burr intended to commit treason against his 
country. Now a good many think that he intended 
only to take Texas and Mexico from the Spaniards, 
and make himself ruler over those countries. Only 
under the pretense of fighting for the United States 
could he hope to conquer the Spanish possessions, 
and Spain and the United States did not go to war; 
so his scheme fell through. How far he intended 
to carry his plot will never be known. 

Question. — Tell what you can of Aaron Burr : 
(i) His life before he came to New Orleans. 

(2) His stay in New Orleans. 

(3) The plot with which he was connected. 

(4) The outcome. 



CHAPTER XLI 

THE FLORIDA PARISHES 

The Americans in West Florida remained quietly 
under the Spanish rule during the excitement caused 
by Burr's conspiracy. The United States and Spain 
seemed to have dropped the question of boundary, 
at least for a time. In 1810 the Americans in West 
Florida grew tired of waiting for the United States 
and took matters into their own hands. About two 
hundred men from the neighborhood of Bayou Sara 
and the Mississippi Territory, headed by General 
Philemon Thomas, marched against Baton Rouge, 
which was still held by the Spaniards. 

Spain either did not value West Florida, or else 
she had no money to spare. The fort at Baton 
Rouge was old and broken down, and there were 
only a few men to defend it ; even among those few 
there were several poor crippled fellows who hob- 
bled along on sticks. The Americans attacked the 
fort, but the attack was almost a bloodless battle, 
for only one Spaniard was killed, and not a single 
American so much as received a scratch. The 
garrison and all the arms and ammunition fell into 
the hands of the Americans. 

239 



240 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

The victors then marched back to St. Francis- 
ville, near Bayou Sara. There they held a conven- 
tion and declared that the country which they had 
conquered should from that time be free and inde- 
pendent, and that it should be called the State of 
West Florida. A constitution for the new State 
was then drawn up. It declared West Florida to be 
a free and independent State ; that it had the right 
to form any kind of government the people thought 
best; that it could make treaties and trade with 
other countries ; and, in short, had every right be- 
longing to a free nation. Fulwar Skip was elected 
governor of the new State. 

The territory of this baby republic was made up 
of the parishes which are now called the Florida 
Parishes. They are: West Feliciana, East Feli- 
ciana, St. Helena, Washington, East Baton Rouge, 
Livingston, Tangipahoa, and St. Tammany. All 
these parishes together contain nearly four million 
acres of land. This is a good deal of land ; yet 
when you think of the number of acres in the whole 
of Louisiana, and then of the number of acres in the 
United States, you will see that West Florida was 
indeed a baby republic. 

The new State felt its weakness. It was afraid 
of Spain, France, and Great Britain. So it sent to 
the United States government a copy of its new 
constitution, together with a letter asking that West 
Florida be taken under the protection of the United 



THE FLORIDA PARISHES 241 

States. The American government was given to 
understand that it must act quickly in the matter, 
or the State of West Florida would ask the protec- 
tion of some other country. The people of West 
Florida were willing to become a part of the United 
States, as either State or Territory, but, they said, 
they would do so only upon two conditions ; namely, 
they should govern themselves, and all the land 
should belong to them. The countr)^ belonged to 
them, they claimed, for by risking their lives they 
had secured it without help from any other country. 
They advised the United States government that 
they would sell some of the land, and use the money 
in digging canals, building bridges and roads, and 
in other ways improving their State. Having clearly 
stated that they asked protection, but not control, 
the West Floridans waited for an answer to their 
announcement. 

The President smiled at the pert little State. 
West Florida had asked that the American govern- 
ment act quickly. The action was quick enough. 
The President, who was James Madison, issued a proc- 
lamation in which he said West Florida belonged 
to the United States, since it was a part of the 
Louisiana Purchase. The President kindly ex- 
plained that ^^ossession had not heretofore been 
taken of West F^lorida because it had not been con- 
venient, and there had been no need for haste. The 
United States and Spain were on friendly terms, 



242 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

and the two countries had expected to discuss the 
matter at the proper time and settle it in a friendly 
way. The President further declared that what had 
been done in the West Florida convention did not 
make any difference so far as the claim of the 
United States to the country was concerned. The 
people must not be so foolish as to think that the 
United States would allow them to take land that 
did not belong to them. West Florida was a part 
of the public lands of the State, and would be used 
for the good of the people. 

The President enforced his proclamation by taking 
possession of the Territory in the name of the United 
States. Governor Claiborne was put in charge of 
West Florida. He was instructed to establish 
courts, so that the people might be protected in 
the enjoyment of life, liberty, and property, and to 
do everything he thought needful to establish a 
firm government. If the people of West Florida 
should attempt to resist, Claiborne had orders to use 
force, and if he did not have enough troops, he was 
to call on the governor of Mississippi for more. 
The people of West Florida were commanded to 
respect the governor, keep good order, and obey the 
laws. 

Governor Claiborne marched into the new Terri- 
tory at the head of a body of troops. The new State 
had adopted a flag of blue with a silver star in the 
middle. At Baton Rouge and Bayou Sara the lone 



THE FLORIDA PARISHES 243 

star banner was lowered and the Stars and Stripes 
hoisted. The people quietly submitted. They 
could attack the old broken-down fort at Baton 
Rouge, but they could not resist such a strong power 
as the United States. 

Thus died the State of West Florida. Later, 
when the Territory of Orleans was admitted into 
the Union as the State of Louisiana, the Florida 
Parishes were made a part of the new State. 

Questions. — i. What are the Florida Parishes? 

2. Tell the story of the State of West Florida. 

3. What part did Baton Rouge have in this story? 



CHAPTER XLII 

ADMISSION OF LOUISIANA AS A STATE 

Julian Poydras was a man whom we should not 
forget. He came to Louisiana very poor, but by 
his industrious habits became owner of several big 
plantations in Pointe Coupee parish; in fact, he 
was one of the richest planters in the country. 
Distinguished visitors to Louisiana never left with- 
out becoming guests at the plantation home of Julian 
Poydras. On one occasion he entertained three 
young men of royal blood, whose father afterward 
became king of France. 

Though Poydras was so rich, he was simple and 
quiet in his manner. He did much good with his 
money. When he died, he left large sums for a 
hospital for the sick and a school for poor boys. He 
also left a fund from which poor girls in Pointe 
Coupee and West Baton Rouge parishes, about to 
get married, were given their wedding clothes. 
Probably no man in Louisiana has done more to 
make people happy than Julian Poydras. 

Poydras held many public oflfices. In 1811 he 
was the representative of the Orleans Territory in the 
Congress of the United States. The Territory then 

244 



ADMISSION OF LOUISIANA AS A STATE 245 

had more than sixty thousand inhabitants and was 
ready to enter the Union as a State. Poydras re- 
minded Congress of the promise to make the Terri- 
tory a State as soon as the population reached this 
figure. Immediately a hot debate arose. Some 
members had long dreaded the coming of the time 
when Louisiana would ask for admission as a State. 
Most of these men were from the far-distant New 
England States, and none of them knew anything 
about Louisiana. They did not believe that the 
Creoles would ever become desirable citizens of the 
United States, for they did not think that the 
Creoles would be true to any country but France 
or Spain; nor could they see how a Territory, pur- 
chased so recently as Louisiana, could be fit for 
Statehood. 

The members from the South and West had long 
been associated in business with the Louisianians, 
and felt kindly toward them. They favored making 
a State out of the Territory of Orleans. 

Josiah Quincy, a member of Congress from Mas- 
sachusetts, was the most bitter in opposition to 
Louisiana becoming a State. He made a speech, 
which he began by saying that, should Louisiana be 
admitted as a State, he thought the Americans 
ought to fight. He declared that their forefathers 
had fought to give rights and liberties to Americans, 
not to the mixed race in Louisiana. He ended his 
bitter speech by declaring that if Congress could so 



246 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

far forget its duty as to permit Louisiana to become 
a State, any other State in the Union had the right 
to secede. 

In spite of all Quincy said and the opposition of 
others, the Territory of Orleans was admitted into 
the Union in 1812 as the State of Louisiana. 
Claiborne had the honor of being elected the first 
governor of the new State. Allen B, Magruder 
and Joel Destrehan were the first United States 
senators. Thomas Boiling Robertson was the first 
congressman. 

If Louisiana was to enjoy the privileges of her 
sister States, she was also to share their burdens. 
The very year that she became a State (181 2) the 
United States declared war against Great Britain 
for the purpose of putting a stop to the practice that 
Great Britain had of seizing American ships and 
sailors. 

During the first years of the war, the fighting 
was confined to the North and Northwest. But the 
old longing to own the Mississippi Valley again 
came over the English, and news soon reached 
Louisiana that Great Britain was preparing to send 
eighteen thousand of her best trained soldiers against 
New Orleans. By sending veterans who had won 
victories on the battlefields of Europe, Great Britain 
showed how much she valued the possession of 
the Mississippi Valley. Strange to say, the United 
States did not seem to value it at all. New Orleans 



ADMISSION OF LOUISIANA AS A STATE 247 




Louisiana Seal 



was poorly defended, and no good vessels were on 
the gulf to protect the coast. Maps of the city and 
coast were sent to the United States government 
showing how easily New Orleans might be taken, 
but the government did nothing to protect the 
city. 

The English believed that 
the Louisianians did not like 
the Americans, and would re- 
joice to be again under Span- 
ish rule. For this reason they 
let it be understood that if they 
took Louisiana, it would be 
given back to Spain. They 
thought that this would make the Creoles flock to 
their side as soon as they landed. 

Pirates infested the southwest coast of Louisiana. 
Governor Claiborne had tried to make these men 
stop trading in New Orleans, but he had not been 
able to do so. At last Claiborne offered a reward 
for the heads of the leaders. The English counted 
strongly on the help of these men, for they thought 
the pirates would surely want to be avenged on the 
American governor. 

Claiborne became very anxious. He heard the 
reports that the English had spread, and he believed, 
the people loved Spain. By 18 14 it had become 
certain that New Orleans would be attacked. The 
United States government still sent no troops, but 



248 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

ordered Governor Claiborne to 2:et toofether a thou- 
sand men of the State militia and drill them. Gen- 
eral Andrew Jackson, who had been fighting the 
Indians in Florida, was ordered to take command 
of the Louisiana troops and to defend New Orleans. 
It was high time to get ready for the defense of 
New Orleans, for several English regiments under 
General Nicholls had already landed at Pensacola. 
General Nicholls had lost no time. He sent a proc- 
lamation through Louisiana. It began very grandly, 
something like this : " Louisianians ! we, the Eng- 
lish, your best friends in the world, call upon you 
to help us ! We want to free you from a faithless 
government, and give you back the land which be- 
longs to you. Do not be afraid of us, gentle Loui- 
sianians ! Europe can tell you that Great Britain 
does not think of her own interest, and now she 
is thinking only of you and your wrongs." The 
old English spider stood at the door of his web, and 
put out his feelers. All his little eyes were bright 
and shining as he watched the Louisiana flies. 
Would they walk into his parlor .r* Governor Clai- 
borne feared that they would. 

Questions. — i. When did Louisiana become a State? 

2. Tell all you know about Julian Poydras. 

3. Tell about the second war between the United States and 
Great Britain. 



CHAPTER XLIII 

THE BARATARIAN PIRATES 

There once lived in France two brothers who 
were blacksmiths. Their names were Pierre and 
Jean Lafitte. These men were not content to be 
honest, plodding smiths, toiling " from morn till 
night." The sjDirit of the old sea robbers was in 
them. The tales that they heard of adventures in 
the New World stirred their blood, and they made up 
their minds to seek a fortune in New Orleans, where 
there were already many of their own race. 

The brothers set up a smithy in one of the quiet 
streets of New Orleans, and soon the shop was one 
of the most popular places in the city. A great 
many men, merchants especially, went to see the 
brothers, and had long talks with them. But they 
did not talk about the shoeing of horses and the 
mending of wagons and carriages. This part of the 
work was carried on by slaves, and did not appear 
to interest either the visitors or the Lafittes. The 
brothers were making money, and making it fast, 
but it was not the heavy beats of the hammer on 
the anvil that brought in the dollars. They made 
no secret of their real occupation. 

249 



250 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

On the southern coast of Louisiana there dwelt a 
band of smugglers. These men shipped goods into 
the State without paying a tax on them. Because 
they paid no tax, they could afford to sell their 
goods very cheaply, and many people traded with 
them because in such purchases a little money could 
be made to go a long way. 

The Lafittes became the agents for these unlaw- 
ful traders. They found that selling goods for the 
smugglers paid much better than blacksmithing 
either in France or in New Orleans. Before long 
Jean Lafitte, called Captain Jean, became the leader 
of the smugglers, and no man ever had a more 
devoted band of followers. 

Captain Jean was a tall, handsome fellow with 
black eyes and hair. He did not know what it was 
to be afraid, and it was hard to deceive him. The 
brothers had found the work which suited them, 
and the place in which they carried on their unlaw- 
ful trade was after their own hearts. 

The southern shore of Louisiana looks as if it 
had not quite made up its mind to be put down in 
the geography as land or water. It is a bewilder- 
ing maze of channels, lakes, bayous, and swamps, 
all of which lead to the Mississippi River. Six 
miles from the gulf are two small islands, Grande 
Terre and Grande Isle. Back of these islands lies 
Barataria Bay, which forms a quiet harbor for 
ships. Leading out from the bay are bayous which 



THE BARATARIAN PIRATES 



251 



open into the Mississippi. From the banks of these 
bayous stretch miles and miles of desolate swamps. 
Most people would not care to live in such a 
dismal place, but it suited the purpose of the smug- 
glers. The wildest part of the whole coast was 
about Barataria Bay, and was called in a general 




BARATARIAN LUGGERS 



way Barataria. Here it was that Captain Jean 
made his headquarters. 

The Baratarians had a strong little fleet. Their 
vessels would dart out into the gulf, seize Spanish 
ships laden with rich cargoes, and then go skim- 
ming back into the bay and up some bayou, to hide 
behind the tangled vines and undergrowth. 

The pirates built storehouses on several of the 
islands, and when these were filled with costly, 
beautiful goods, agents would slip through the 
country and let the people know what they had 



252 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

on hand. Then such a flocking down to Grande 
Terre as there would be! Captain Jean and his 
crew usually delivered the goods to the merchants 
in New Orleans, while Pierre stayed in the city to 
take orders and keep his brother posted as to the 
market price. The citizens of New Orleans walked 
up to the Lafittes on the street and gave them an 
order for goods as openly as if they were dealing 
with merchants in New York or Philadelphia. 

Those were prosperous days for the pirates; yet 
their goods were wonderfully cheap. The Louisi- 
anians chatted and marveled over their purchases as 
the little boats threaded their way through the bayous 
back to the Mississippi. 

Governor Claiborne knew that the Lafittes should 
not be allowed to rob vessels and sell the cargoes. 

o 

He tried to make the people of Louisiana see that 
it was wrong, but, under the Spanish rule, they were 
so used to buying goods without paying duty that 
they could see no harm in it. 

Governor Claiborne offered five hundred dollars 
for Jean Lafitte's head. Captain Jean got angry 
and offered five hundred dollars for Governor Clai- 
borne's head. No one seemed to care for the re- 
ward on either side, and Lafitte went about as 
openly as before. 

Governor Claiborne then asked the leo^islature 
to help him bring the Baratarians to justice. The 
legislature, however, said that it did not think it 



THE BARATARIAN PIRATES 253 

could raise the money to fight five hundred bold, 
well-armed men. Besides, it could not see that the 
Baratarians were harming any one save the Span- 
iards, and Lafitte had said that he had letters of 
marque from the Republic of Carthagena. These 
letters gave him the right to seize Spanish ships. 
Governor Claiborne could not get the people to act 
with him, try as he would. 

Once when Lafitte was takino^ a caro^o to New 
Orleans, a United States revenue cutter attacked 
him. Captain Jean never killed any one if he could 
help it, particularly an American, but in beating off 
the cutter, four Americans were killed. Lafitte told 
the captain of the revenue cutter that he was very 
sorry for the death of these men, but that he would 
kill any one who tried to take his property. 

Meanwhile war — the War of 18 12 — had broken 
out between the United States and Great Britain. 
The British Government made preparations to seize 
the Louisiana country. One day when Captain 
Jean was returning from one of his trips, he saw 
a British man-of-war at Grande Terre, The com- 
manding ofificer bore a letter from General Nicholls 
asking Lafitte to help the British against the 
Americans. When Captain Jean read the letter, 
he said: 

" Why do the British want our help ? " 

" Because," replied the ofificer, " you Baratarians are 
the only ones who know this part of the country. 



254 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

You are brave men, well able to help us against the 
Americans, Besides, the Americans have attacked 
your vessels and have offered a reward for your 
arrest. Of course, you must hate them." 

Captain Jean gave the officer a shrewd glance, 
and asked, " What will you give us to help you ? " 

" Your men will be well paid," eagerly replied the 
officer. " As for you, you will be made a captain in 
the British navy, and you will also be given thirty 
thousand dollars." 

Lafitte said that he must have two weeks to 
think it over. He was putting the Englishman off 
in order to sive him time to warn Governor Clai- 
borne that the British were so near. He sent two 
of his men to take the news to the governor and to 
put himself and his band at the service of the 
Americans. 

The governor called a council and placed the 
matter before its members. All except Claiborne 
and one other gentleman decided that they would 
not trust the Baratarians. One of the men whom 
Captain Jean had sent to Claiborne was a traitor. 
The Americans paid him to pilot vessels to Bara- 
taria. The Baratarians were completely surprised, 
and there was a desperate fight. A great many of 
the Baratarians were killed and taken prisoners. 
Their buildings were burned and their goods and 
vessels seized. The two brothers escaped to the 
Mississippi, where some friends hid them. 



THE BARATARIAN PIRATES 255 

When General Jackson came to New Orleans, 
Captain Jean went to him and offered the aid of 
his men in the defense of New Orleans. Before 
General Jackson came to the city, he thought that 
the council had acted exactly right in not accepting 
the help of the Baratarians. He had said the Brit- 
ish might be glad to have the assistance of bandits, 
robbers, and pirates, but that he wanted no such 
help. 

General Jackson did not often change his mind, 
but he changed it when he saw Captain Jean. One 
brave man recognizes another, and General Jackson 
thankfully received Captain Jean's offer. 

You will find out later if the Baratarians were 
worthy of the trust which General Jackson put in 
them. 

Questions. — i. Tell about the smugglers on the gulf coast : 
how they got their merchandise and how they sold it. 

2. Why was this southern coast a favorable place for smug- 
glers? 

3. Tell the story of Captain Jean Lafitte. 



CHAPTER XLIV 

GENERAL ANDREW JACKSON COMES TO NEW ORLEANS 

The people of New Orleans were very much 
alarmed when they learned that the British were 
near. They knew that they could not withstand 
the enemy, and were not much comforted by the 
fact that General Jackson was being sent "to protect 
the city. They looked upon Jackson as a rough 
Westerner with but little education. He had been 
a lawyer without knowing much law; now he was a 
soldier, and they feared he did not know very much 
about fighting. To be sure, Jackson had had rare 
experience in fighting Indians, but the Louisianians 
did not trust to that kind of training when it came 
to meeting on the battle-field the skilled troops of 
Old England. 

General Jackson reached New Orleans on the 
afternoon of December i, 1814, and began at once 
to fortify the city. He first examined the defenses 
along the Mississippi River. He found there several 
dilapidated old forts. These he ordered torn down, 
the lumber piled up, and a cannon placed on top of 
each pile. Then he returned to New Orleans and 
set up a battery at the rear of the city. He also 

256 



ANDREW JACKSON COMES TO NEW ORLEANS 257 



sent word to Governor Claiborne to close up with 
logs the bayous leading into New Orleans from the 
gulf and lakes. 

The stretch of gulf shore, the many winding 
bayous and lakes, and the Mississippi River give to 
Louisiana a very 
long coast line. 
Yet the United 
States had pro- 
vided but six gun- 
boats and one 
sloop of war to 
protect all this 
coast. 

The land forces 
which Jackson had 
at his command 
were small in num- 
ber and poorly 
trained, but they 
were brave and de- 
termined men, and 
as Jackson re- 
viewed them, he seemed satisfied. There were the 
Kentuckians and Tennesseeans whom he had brought 
with him, troops from Mississippi commanded by 
Hinds, regiments from the West under Coffee, the 
Tennessee militia under Carroll, the Lafittes with 
their Baratarians, and one negro company. 




General Andrew Jackson 



258 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Arms and ammunition were very scarce. Private 
houses were searched, and all the old rusty pistols, 
guns, swords, and even long knives were collected. 
Jackson had these oiled and rubbed, and then, as the 
final step in making ready to meet the British, he 
gave his men a talk. 

Jackson did not make a long speech. He had 
come to fight, not to talk. He told his men that 
they were going to win, and that he himself should 
fight as long as there was an Englishman in Loui- 
siana. If the general's heart felt just a little faint at 
the thought of the splendidly drilled British, he gave 
no hint of it. He did not complain that the United 
States had sent him no trqops. He did not say 
what he could do if he had a well-equipped army. 
He made the most of what he had at hand, and 
worked all the harder because he had so little. 

New Orleans was like a big camp, and General 
Jackson was the central figure. He took command 
as if he knew exactly what to do, and iiiade the peo- 
ple feel that whatever he willed would be done. It 
was his faith in himself and his men that made him 
successful. 

It was a short and easy passage from Lake Borgne 
to New Orleans through Bayou Bienvenu, if one but 
knew the way. Therefore it seemed best to station 
here the six little gunboats which the United States 
had provided. Lieutenant Thomas A. C. Jones was 
in command. 



ANDREW JACKSON COMES TO NEW ORLEANS 259 

Against this pitifully weak fleet the British 
Admiral Cochrane sent a thousand men in fifty open 
boats. The Americans tried to escape, but there 
was no breeze to fill their sails, and as this was 
before the days of steamships, they could make no 
headway. The little fleet finally ran aground in a 
narrow channel. 

Lieutenant Jones had only one hundred and fifty 
men, but this plucky little body of Americans was 
not going to be captured without a fight. Jones 
ordered the guns to be made ready, and steadfastly 
watched the advancing British as their boats, rowed 
by skilled oarsmen, swept over the sunlit lake. In 
the prow of each boat was a brightly burnished can- 
non, and back of it sat the redcoats — as the British 
were called, on account of their uniform — the points 
of their bayonets glittering like jewels in the sunlight. 

The Americans waited until the British were well 
within range. Then a fierce blaze of fire flashed 
out over the lake. It killed many of the enemy, 
but did not break their perfect order. On they 
came, with steady, even stroke. Suddenly, with one 
swift, lengthened pull the barges bounded alongside 
the gunboats, and the British and Americans met in 
a fierce hand-to-hand fight. The British captured 
the gunboats, but it cost them three hundred men 
to do so, while the Americans lost but sixty. 

The news of the naval battle on Lake Borgne 
reached New Orleans the next day. The governor 



26o HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

at once sent a message to the legislature advising it to 
adjourn for fifteen or twenty days. Governor Clai- 
borne thought that every man in New Orleans would 
be needed to defend the city. The legislature refused 
to adjourn. A committee stated to the governor 
that in time of war the legislature should remain in 
session to suggest ways to raise money to aid the 
people. 

General Jackson did not like this act of the legis- 
lature. He did not want any suggestions. He had 
undertaken to save Louisiana, and was going to do 
it in his own way. He therefore declared the city 
to be under martial law. This meant that the laws 
made by the people were to be set aside, and that 
General Jackson, aided by his soldiers, was to rule 
according to his best judgment. 

Jackson now set to work to guard all of the en- 
trances into the city. Yet, in spite of his care, 
Bayou Bienvenu, leading from Lake Borgne to the 
Mississippi, was left open. The British were quick 
to take advantage of this opportunity. There were 
some Italian fishermen living on Bayou Bienvenu. 
These men sold their fish in New Orleans. The 
British paid them to take into the city two of their 
ofificers, disguised as fishermen. 

Along Bayou Bienvenu and on Villere's canal, 
which led from the bayou to the city, were large 
plantations. One of these was the home of Major 
General Villere. When the major general heard 



ANDREW JACKSON COMES TO NEW ORLEANS 261 

that the British were on Lake Borgne, he sent sev- 
eral Creoles down the bayou to watch the movements 
of the enemy. The Creoles agreed that if they were 
captured, they would all say that Jackson had a 
large and powerful army to defend the city. 

One night the little band was surprised and cap- 
tured by five British barges which crept up the 
bayou and were upon them before the Creoles could 
escape. The British asked how many soldiers Jack- 
son had at his command. The captives, to a man, 
replied that he had twelve thousand soldiers in New- 
Orleans and four thousand at the English Turn. 
The fishermen had told the British that Jackson 
had very few men, which was the truth, but the 
British believed the Creoles. 

Questions. — i. Describe the American troops that fought at 
New Orleans. 

2. What do you think of General Jackson? 

3. Tell abeut the battle on Lake Borgne. 

4. What is meant by putting a place under martial law? 




HoubE IN WHICH Andrew Jackson was Born 



CHAPTER XLV 

THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS 

The British pushed on up the bayou and landed 
back of General Villere's plantation. The general's 
son, Major Villere, saw the redcoats march quickly 
from behind an orange grove. He tried to escape 
through the back of the house, but the British sur- 
rounded the yard, and he was soon captured and 
put in a room under a guard. 

The young major knew that General Jackson 
ought to learn at once that the enemy was coming. 
Somehow he must escape and reach New Orleans. 
With this one thought in mind, and without think- 
ing of the danger to himself, Villere dashed past 
the guards, jumped through an open window, and 
made for the shelter of a thick wood. The soldiers 
followed, firing as they ran. He could hear the 
order given to surround the wood and capture him 
alive or dead. 

Major Villere had just hidden himself in the 
branches of a large, moss-draped oak, when he heard 
his favorite hunting dog whining and scratching at 
the foot of the tree. He knew that she would be- 
tray him, so he came down quickly, and, with tears 

262 



THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS 263 

in his eyes, killed the faithful, affectionate animal, 
and hid her body in the bushes. Scarcely had he 
climbed again into the tree when the enemy came 
crashing through the wood. They looked all about, 
thrusting their bayonets into the brushwood, but 
they never once thought of looking up into the tree, 
where sat the major watching them. At last they 
gave up the search and went away. 

Then Major Villere jumped to the ground and 
ran for the next plantation. There he got a swift 
horse that bore him to General Jackson. 

General Jackson was a man who made up his mind 
quickly. He said, " We must fight them to-night." 
He summoned all the troops from their different 
stations, and ordered the gunboat Carolina down 
the river. The artillery had already been sent be- 
low to guard the city. At the gate of Fort St. 
Charles, Jackson reviewed the troops as they 
marched down the levee road. He waited until the 
last man passed ; then he galloped after them. 

That evening at nightfall the British soldiers were 
gathered about their campfires, singing and telling 
stories. Suddenly they heard a sentinel hail a boat 
that was gliding quietly down the dark river. There 
was no answer to the voice of the sentry. The sol- 
diers, who had paused for a minute to gaze idly 
at the boat, again took up song and story. But 
neither was ever finished. 

A clear, stern voice rang across the water, " Now, 



264 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

boys, give it to them for the honor of America!" 
At the same time there was a boom of cannon from 
off the river. It was answered ahnost instantly by a 
rattle of shot from a wood behind the camp. The 
British, who were running from the cannon balls to the 




Site of Battle-field of 1814, Chalmette National Cemetery 

shelter of the levee, were met by a squad of Ameri- 
cans who rushed out of the wood cheering each 
other on with shouts and cries. In the darkness 
all was confusion. The British officers could not 
get their commands, and fought with any squad that 
happened to be near. It was a fierce, hand-to-hand 
skirmish, lasting until half-past nine, when Jackson 
withdrew his men. There were more British left 
dead on the field than Americans. 

This battle occurred on the 23d of December, 18 14, 
and was called the battle of the twenty-third. In it 



THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS 265 

the Louisianians learned to trust their commander, 
and General Jackson learned that the Creoles were 
true men who could stand fire. 

The British made the mistake of not at once 
pushing on six miles farther to New Orleans. If 
they had done so, they could have taken the city 
before General Jackson could march his forces back 
to protect it. 

On Christmas Day, one of England's greatest 
generals. Sir Edward Pakenham, took command of 
the British troops. The first thing Sir Edward did 
was to destroy the Carolina and drive away the 
Louisiana. He did not want his men again to be 
placed between two fires. 

Between the 23d of December and the 8th of 
January, both sides did some cannonading, but no 
battle was fought. The Americans worried the 
British like wasps. Day and night they threw 
shells into the enemy's camp, so that the British 
could neither rest nor sleep. They could not even 
keep a sentinel, for the American hunters picked 
each new one off with the same sure aim that had 
brought death to many a rabbit and squirrel in the 
woods of Tennessee. 

Twenty-two hundred Kentuckians came to New 
Orleans to help Jackson. They were in rags, and 
were armed with rusty old guns that would not 
shoot. But Jackson was glad to see the brave men, 
and the houses were again ransacked to find them 



266 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

better weapons. The ladies of the city made them 
warm clothes. In one week they made twelve 
hundred coats, eleven hundred pairs of trousers, and 
eight hundred shirts. 

During this time General Jackson built strong 
breastworks. They were a- mile long, and were 
made of logs plastered together with mud. 

On the night of the 7th of January, 18 15, the 
Americans heard stirrings in the British camp, and 
at daylight the next morning, the British sent up a 
rocket. This was their way of saying that they 
were ready to fight. The Americans answered with 
a cannon shot, which said that they too were ready. 
Then the splendidly drilled British troops, led by 
General Gibbs, advanced toward the Americans. 
The orderlv British soldiers were a stran<ye contrast 
to the mixture of Louisianians, Mississippians, Ken- 
tuckians, Tennesseeans, Baratarians, Indians, and 
negroes that made up Jackson's army. 

When the British had nearly reached the Ameri- 
can breastworks, it was found that their scaling 
ladders had been forgotten. They could not climb 
the breastworks without ladders, so they hastily sent 
back for them. Meantime, their troops were wait- 
ing in an open space, exposed to the fire of the 
Americans. A flash and roar that shook the earth 
came from Jackson's strong defense. The British 
fell like blades of grass before a mower. Their 
line gave way, but soon rallied and pressed forward. 



268 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

A second time the storm of death-dealing bullets 
drove them back. 

At last General Pakenham's regiment came up 
with the ladders. Pakenham dashed forward, waving 
his hat and cheering on his men, but he was not to 
command them long. His scarlet uniform was a 
target which the backwoodsmen could not miss, and 
he soon fell and was carried off the field mortally 
wounded. With the brilliant commander's death, 
the battle was lost to the British. 

In this wonderful battle of New Orleans, the 
British greatly outnumbered the Americans. Yet 
the American loss was but eiq-ht men, while the 
British lost two thousand. After the victory, the 
women of New Orleans went down to the battle- 
field to care for the wounded. They found that 
it was the British, not their own men, who needed 
help. 

The saddest part of the terrible loss was that the 
lives of all of these brave soldiers might have been 
saved, had there been a telegraph or cable to bring 
news quickly. Peace between America and Eng- 
land had been declared the day before General 
Pakenham came to New Orleans. But the battle 
was over and the dead were buried before it was 
known that peace had been made. 

After the battle, the people in New Orleans were 
wild with joy and paid great honor to General Jack- 
son. It would be pleasant to end the story here, but 



THE BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS 269 

there is more that must be told. When the legis- 
lature thanked the heroes who had saved Louisiana, 
it did not so much as mention General Jackson's 
name. Jackson had forced the legislature to close, 
and after the battle he had kept the city under 
martial law. The legislature could not forgive him 
for this. It thought that he had no right to inter- 
fere with State laws. 

General Jackson was brought before the court 
and fined a thousand dollars. He paid the fine, 
saying that every good citizen should obey the law. 
Long years after the War of 1812, Congress paid 
him back this money, with interest which amounted 
to thirty thousand dollars. 

Jackson had put the city under the command of 
his soldiers because he did not trust the Creoles. 
He could not be blamed for this, as their own gov- 
ernor did not trust them. But both Jackson and 
Governor Claiborne lived to see that in this mistrust 
they made a great mistake. 

The battle of the 8th of January was a grand 
victory for America. It saved New Orleans and the 
Mississippi River from falling into the hands of the 
English. If the English had got possession of 
the Mississippi Valley, the United States might have 
been cut in two, and in this case our country would 
have extended only to the Mississippi River, in- 
stead of spreading from ocean to ocean. 



270 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



Questions. — i. Tell about the battle of the twenty-third. 

2. What took place during the next two weeks? 

3. When was the battle of New Orleans fought? Tell what 
you can about it. 

4. How could an army so poorly trained and armed as the 
Americans were succeed against the large, well trained British 
forces ? 

5. What was one result of Jackson's putting the city under 
martial law? Why had he thought martial law necessary? 




Gold Medal presented by Congress 
TO Andrew Jackson 



CHAPTER XLVI 



THE MIDDLE PERIOD 



The victory of New Orleans not only saved 
Louisiana — it united the people. Up to that time 
the Creoles had felt the shame of having been 
bought by the United States. They were suspi- 
cious and unjust. But when the British entered 
Lake Borgne, it was not the French nor the Ameri- 
cans who were in danger, it was the State of 
Louisiana. A common danger brought the people 
together, for French and Americans alike had to 
defend their homes. They ate the same food, slept 
side by side, fought in the same regiments, and 
each found Q:ood in the other. When the war was 
over, it was the united Louisianians who rejoiced 
over the victory. 

Claiborne was governor thirteen years. After his 
administration we find both Creole and American 
names in the long list of governors between 1816 
and the present time. So it was in every business 
and profession. The Creoles and Americans married 
one another, and as their children's children grew 
up, the Louisianians became truly one people. 

After the British were driven away from. Loui- 

271 



2 72 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

siana, the history of the State for a long time was 
uneventful. In those days, as now, the governors 
were able men, chosen by the people to be at the 
head of their government. There was no more 
giving away of the people, or selling them. The 
Louisianians were living the quiet, happy life of a 
prosperous people. 

Settlers from Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, and 
other States came into Louisiana bringing money to 
invest and new ideas. The population spread from 
the south to the northern, western, and eastern part 
of the State. More plantations were started in cot- 
ton, cane, and tobacco ; towns were built ; steam- 
boats went up and down the Mississippi. In 1S30 
the first railroad in the State was built between New 
Orleans and Milneburg, and four years later New 
Orleans was lighted by gas. In this time of growth 
better laws were made. Changes were made in the 
State constitution, and each change meant more 
power placed in the hands of the people. 

But there was shadow as well as sunshine. Evil 
days fell upon the Louisianians, bringing overflows 
and yellow fever. The levees were not well built. 
Every few years parts of them gave way, and the 
Mississippi swept over the rich crops of cotton and 
cane. The loss to the State meant thousands of 
dollars. 

Even worse than the devourinor water was the 
terrible yellow fever. The doctors at that time did 



THE MIDDLE PERIOD 273 

not understand how to treat the fever, and had not 
learned how to keep it out of New Orleans. One 
of the worst yellow fever epidemics occurred in 1853. 
In the spring of that year, two vessels on their way 
to New Orleans stopped at Rio Janeiro, where the 
captain of one vessel and several of the crew took 




A View on the Levee, New Orleans, 1850 

the yellow fever and soon died. When the ships 
reached New Orleans, an immigrant from one of 
them was taken to the charity hospital and died in 
a few hours. In a few days the fever broke out in 
another part of the city, then in another, and another. 
It seemed as if the air was laden with the germs 
which brought death to one out of every ten per- 
sons. A great many of the citizens left for the 
North. Those who could not go away bravely 
awaited their fate. It seemed mere chance whether 
it should be life or death. During the first week of 



274 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

August, the death Hst from the fever was nine hun- 
dred and forty-seven. It was hard to find enough 
well persons to dig the graves for those who died. 

On the 2 2d of August the fever was at its 
height. Two hundred and eighty-three died that 
day. The next day there were twenty-five less, the 
next fewer still, until the scourge had spent its force. 

One would think that a city so often* visited by 
a terrible fever would soon become deserted. But 
not so ; in spite of overflows and yellow fever 
New Orleans grew larger and the parishes became 
thickly settled. 

As the State prospered, more attention was paid 
to education. Far back in the early days of Loui- 
siana, Bienville saw the need of education in his little 
colony. You remember that though he was not 
governor when the Ursuline nuns opened a school 
for girls, yet it was owing to his efforts that the 
Sisters came to Louisiana. Bienville tried to get 
the king of France to establish a school for boys, 
but Louis XV did not think it worth while. A 
monk. Father Cecil, taught the first school for boys 
in the State. 

When Louisiana became a territory of the United 
States, its legislature took an interest in education. 
Colleges and public schools were established from 
time to time. The State gave money to the col- 
leges, but did not seem to understand that lower 
schools were needed. The children of the rich 



THE MIDDLE PERIOD 275 

and of those who Hved comfortably went to private 
schools or had tutors and governesses. It was not 
until 1845 that the people began to 'feel the value 
of public schools. 

Some years before, Governor Roman had said 
that the schools in Louisiana should be free, and the 
rich and the poor should be taught together. Gov- 




A View of New Orleans in 1052 

ernor Roman meant that every child in the State 
should be given a chance to show what was in him, 
and that those who did the best work should be the 
ones to have the best start in life. The same year, 
1845, Alexander Dimitry was appointed the first 
superintendent of education. 

The public schools, once started, prospered until 
the breaking out of the Civil War, in 186 1. A long 
time after this war, Louisiana was under the con- 
trol of men who stole the State's money ; but when 



276 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

honest men got into power again, they remembered 
the children. Schools have now become a part of 
the State's progress. 

Louisiana has two universities, a normal school, 
two industrial schools, and numerous colleges and 
private schools. Many of these have beautiful build- 
ings, well heated and lighted, fitted with comfort- 
abte' seats, desks, blackboards, and libraries. Often 
there are window gardens to make the rooms home- 
like. Every year, as the teachers become more 
thoughtful and intelligent, they take greater inter- 
est in the health of the children. This will make 
the children of Louisiana go out from the public 
schools a strong race with vigorous bodies and 
clear brains. 

Questions. — I. Mention some of the things that had long 
kept the inhabitants of Louisiana from becoming united as one 
people. 

2. What experiences brought the Louisianians together? 

3. How long ago was the first railroad in the State built? 

4. What were the two greatest enemies to the growth and 
prosperity of the State? 

5. Why are free public schools one of the very best things a 
State can provide for its citizens? 

6. Find out what college is nearest your home. What indus- 
trial school. 



CHAPTER XLVII 

ZACHARY TAYLOR 

Louisiana has a claim upon one of the long 
file of Presidents who have passed to the White 
House. When Zachary Taylor was elected Presi- 
dent of the United States, he owned a plantation 
in Louisiana and considered this State his home. 
Virginia and Kentucky also claim. President Taylor, 
for he was born in Virginia in 1784, and while he 
was a little boy, his father moved to Kentucky. 
Kentucky was not a safe place in which to live 
at that time. The Indians still thought it their 
rightful hunting ground, and were not willing to 
have white people settle there. For this reason the 
settlers' lives were constantly in danger. 

Every night the Taylor boys helped their father 
barricade the doors and load the guns. They learned 
to throw the tomahawk, and to load and shoot while 
running. They even went armed to school, for the 
Indians were very bold, and had been known to 
come very close to the schoolhouse. At one time, 
when the boys of the neighborhood were going 
home from school, three of them were captured and 
killed only a few minutes after they had parted from 
Zachary and his elder brother Hancock. 

277 



2 78 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Brought up in a time of such danger, most of 
the boys in the settlement were watchful and brave. 
Many of them became soldiers when they grew up. 
Hancock Taylor, when a very young man, was ap- 
pointed first lieutenant in the United States army. 
Zachary, too, wished to be a soldier, so he joined 
the State militia and went on many raids against 
the Indians. Most of his time, however, was spent 
at home working on his father's farm. 

When Zachary was twenty-four years old, his 
brother Hancock died. Then Zachary was made 
first lieutenant in Hancock's place. He was sent 
to Indiana to punish the Indians who were burn- 
ing the homes of the settlers from Virginia, 
North Carolina, and South Carolina. Lieutenant 
Taylor was in the West several years. When he 
was not fighting, he was studying his profession, 
and getting ready for his life work in the army. 

After a time the United States government began 
to notice the successful young soldier who laid his 
plans so wisely and led his men so bravely. Lieu- 
tenant Taylor was made a captain, then a major, 
and in a few years more he became a colonel. 

Colonel Taylor was sent to settle the Indian 
troubles in Florida. He was the same skillful, cool- 
headed officer in Florida that he had been in the 
West, and the government now honored him with 
the title of general. He was put in command 
of the Department of the Southwest. Louisiana 



ZACHARY TAYLOR 



279 



was one of the States in this department, and the 
headquarters were at Baton Rouge. 

The United States barracks at Baton Rouge 
were on the site of the old Spanish fort. When the 
Taylors reached their new home, it was thought 
that the commanding officer would live in one of 
the handsome brick 
houses of the post, but 
the Taylors were simple 
folk. They chose a 
rambling old house with 
wide galleries, where 
roses bloomed from 
March until Christmas, 
and here they lived very 
happily. The general 
was a short, stout, rosy- 
faced person, as fond of 
his comfortable home as 
was Mrs. Taylor, who had gentle manners, and who 
loved to work in her beautiful flower garden. She 
raised vegetables, and took pride in making all the 
butter used on her table. 

In 1845 the home life of the Taylors was broken 
up. There was danger of war between the United 
States and Mexico. Many years before some 
Americans had settled in Texas. They gradually 
came to own much property, and thought that they 
should have a share in the government; but their 




ZACHARY TA\L(3R 



28o HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

ideas were so different from those of the Mexicans, 
who owned Texas, that there was constant trouble. 
At last the differences of opinion led to fighting. 
The Americans were victorious, and took pos- 
session of the country, making it an independent 
republic. After four or five years the Republic 
of Texas asked to be admitted into the Union. 
The United States accepted the new territory 
and set about fixing the boundary between Texas 
and Mexico. 

This question of the boundary line led to more 
trouble. The Mexicans thought that the Ameri- 
cans were claiming more territory than belonged to 
them. So General Taylor was ordered to march 
to the frontier and defend the rights of the Union. 
When he reached the Rio Grande River, he at once 
set about building fortifications. The Mexicans did 
the same on their side of the Rio Grande, which is 
the natural boundary between Texas and Mexico. 
The two armies then waited, watching each other. 
At the end of several weeks the Mexican general 
wrote to General Taylor that he had been ordered 
to break up the American camp, and that the 
Americans had better leave while there was time. 
General Taylor sent back word that he should stay 
where he was. 

At this reply the Mexicans crossed the river 
and the war began. General Taylor wrote to the 
governor of Louisiana, Governor Isaac Johnson, for 



ZACHARY TAYLOR 281 

more troops. The legislature of Louisiana voted a 
hundred thousand dollars to help carry on the war, 
and regiments from different parts of the State went 
at the call of General Taylor. 

The American army entered Mexico and won 
battle after battle. When the Americans reached 
Monterey, the Mexicans felt safe, for the stone walls 
of the houses were built high above the roofs, and 
the Mexicans could hide behind these and shoot 
down upon the enemy. But in spite of this strong 
defense, General Taylor entered the town and 
marched his men to a fort which had been left 
open. Here they turned their guns upon the Mexi- 
cans, who had been keeping up a constant fire from 
the tops of the houses. The Mexicans scattered like 
chaff before the wind. In a short time Monterey 
was in the hands of General Taylor. 

The government sent General Scott, another 
famous American, to storm the City of Mexico. 
General Scott was ordered to take General Taylor's 
best-trained men. General Scott did not wish to 
do this, for he knew that General Taylor would 
have liked to be sent to the City of Mexico himself. 
But Scott had to obey orders. When General 
Taylor bade his soldiers good-by, he told them to 
do their duty like brave men. 

General Taylor would indeed have liked to go 
with the troops to the City of Mexico, but as 
events turned out, there was enough for him to do 



282 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

elsewhere. Santa. Anna, the most noted of all the 
Mexican generals, thought that this would be a 
good time to attack General Taylor's weakened 
forces. When the American commander heard that 
Santa Anna was advancing toward him, he took 
his men to a mountain pass called Buena Vista, 
and waited. General Taylor sat on his war horse, 
Old Whitey. Back of him was his little army of 
five thousand men. They were few in number, but 
all had steady hands and brave hearts, as they 
watched the Mexican host of twenty thousand ad- 
vance in orderly array far down the mountain. 

Soon a Mexican soldier bearinor a white fiacj of 
truce galloped up the pass. He brought a letter 
from Santa Anna to General Taylor. Santa Anna 
wrote that if there was a battle the American army 
would be cut to pieces, but, as General Taylor was 
a worthy man, he would give him a chance to sur- 
render. Santa Anna gave General Taylor an hour 
to make up his mind. General Taylor did not wish 
this hour. He sent back word at once that he had 
no intention of surrendering. The battle began im- 
mediately. It was the most brilliant of General 
Taylor's victories in Mexico. It is called the battle 
of Buena Vista. 

Several months after this battle the war came to 
an end by the surrender of the Mexicans. Then 
General Taylor went back to Louisiana. His 
countrymen felt that they could not honor him 



ZACHARY TAYLOR 



283 



enous^h 



Many cities and towns invited him to 
visit them, and wherever he went, there were 
bonfires, street parades, banquets, and receptions. 
Finally General Taylor was elected President of 
the United States. 




r. \irLE OF BUKN V \1SI.V 



As an officer. General Taylor was beloved by his 
men. Old Rough and Ready, as his soldiers called 
him, would not wear his uniform, and clung to an 
old black hat with a twine string for a band and 
the crown half gone. But his troops knew that an 
able commander was wearing those shabby clothes, 
and that no danger could throw him off his guard. 

Once in a while, however, the general considered 
it a matter of duty to look his best. When he was 



284 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

in Texas, Commodore Conner sent word that he 
should Hke to pay his respects. General Taylor 
knew that the commodore was fond of dress, so he 
decided to wear a uniform. He rushed to his tent 
and dragged out from a chest a rumpled coat, which 
he put on in such haste that three buttonholes 
stood above his collar with no buttons to meet them. 
Then the general, feeling stiff and miserable, sat 
bolt upright to await the commodore. 

But Commodore Conner, knowing General Tay- 
lor's habits, thought it would be in bad form to 
appear in full dress, so he wore a suit of white 
drilling. As the two men shook hands, there was 
a sly look of merriment on the face of each. 

When General Taylor became President of the 
United States, the high position did not turn his 
head. He was always as simple in his manners 
and as faithful in performing his duty as he had 
been on his father's farm and on the battle-field. 

Questions. — i. Tell something of the early history of Texas. 

2. What brought on the war between the United States and 
Mexico in 1845? 

3. Tell all you can about General Taylor : 

(i) His boyhood. 

(2) His rise in the army. 

(3) In the Mexican War. 

(4) As President. 

(5) His personal characteristics. 



CHAPTER XLVIII 

AUDUBON 

There was born on a Louisiana plantation, on 
May 4, 1 780, a boy who was one day to become a 
famous man. This boy's name was John James Au- 
dubon. His father was an officer in the French navy. 

Little Audubon was not like most other children. 
Instead of playing with boys of his own age, he 
liked to spend hour after hour in his father's big 
garden, watching the mocking birds, blue jays, red- 
birds, orioles, and woodpeckers. He learned how 
the birds build their nests and get their food. He 
noticed the coloring of every feather, and when he 
had studied the birds a long time, he began to paint 
them. He made pictures that were wonderfully 
lifelike for the work of a little boy. 

When Audubon was twelve or thirteen years 
old, his father's work called him to France, and he 
took his family with him. Audubon's mother was 
proud of the boy's beauty. She dressed him in 
velvet and lace, and had him taught music and 
dancing. But, though he was fond of music and 
liked to dance, he liked better to roam in the woods. 
He painted the French birds, and brought home 
birds' nests and pieces of moss and rocks. 

285 



286 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

The commodore, as Audubon's father was called, 
said that his son was filling the house with trash. 
One day he told Audubon that it was time to stop 
painting birds and get to serious work. He sent 
Audubon to a school where boys were trained for 
the sea, but Audubon did not like that kind of life. 
The commodore asked him what he would rather 
do. Audubon said that he wished to be an artist 
and paint American birds. 

Was ever a father more disappointed ? He had 
set his heart on seeing the boy a brilliant naval 
ofificer, winning victories for France. But the com- 
modore was a sensible man, and knew that it was 
wisest to let his son follow the bent of his own 
talent. So Audubon began to study under a famous 
artist named David. 

When he had learned to paint pretty well, he 
became discontented. How could he paint birds 
without seeing them ? Stuffed birds and copies 
were no inspiration. The commodore finally made 
Audubon the present of a large plantation in Penn- 
sylvania, and the young artist returned to America. 
He owned miles and miles of woodland, the home 
of thousands of birds. On the plantation was a big 
rock in which there was a cave. Audubon took 
this for his home, and put in it a bed, a table, a 
chair, and a cupboard for his dishes. He put away 
his fine clothes, and got a hunter's suit of buckskin. 
Now he was ready to study the birds. At first 



AUDUBON 



2«7 



the little feathered creatures were afraid of him, but 
they soon made friends with this lone man of the 
woods. They quarreled and fought and went to 
housekeeping and raised their little ones near his 
cave without taking any 
notice of him. 

Audubon never killed 
a bird except to study it. 
He learned to put the 
dead birds on wires, and 
by means of threads to 
raise or lower the head, 
wings, or tail. This 
helped him in his study, 
for it was almost like hav- 
ing a live bird before him. 

When Audubon's 
father died, he left his 
son a large amount of money. Audubon decided 
to go into business. He married a lady named 
Lucy Bakewell, and they went to Louisville. Here 
Audubon opened a large store, but he was no busi- 
ness man. He lost all his money and had to start 
over again. He felt that he must go back to the 
work he loved and could do best. Some people 
thought it a waste of time to study birds. But 
Audubon's wife had faith in him. She ureed him 
to continue his study, and helped him by going to 
the little town of Bayou Sara in Louisiana and 




John J. Audubon 



288 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

opening a school. The wealthy planters near Bayou 
Sara were glad to pay a large sum of money to have 
their daughters taught by so gifted a woman as Mrs. 
Axidubon. 

When his noble wife had gone to Bayou Sara, 
Audubon and his son, Victor, crossed the Missis- 
sippi. They went deep into the lonely wood, and 
there made their home. They lived on roots and 
berries, and slept under the trees. Often they had 
to wade through treacherous swamps, but they did 
not mind the hardships. They were thinking of the 
wonderful work, in which Victor was coming to take 
as great an interest as his father. Audubon taught 
Victor to paint, and to recognize the different birds 
and know their habits. 

At last, after many years of patient labor, Audu- 
bon began to feel satisfied with what he had done. 
He had written the life history and made drawings 
of American birds. He was becoming a famous 
man. In 1827 he went to England. Everywhere 
the people were delighted with the beautiful books 
of the great artist. He was invited to take dinner 
with rich noblemen, and met noted writers, musi- 
cians, and artists. 

But though Audubon was greatly admired, he was 
still very poor. As he sat at rich men's tables splen- 
did with gold and silver dishes and sparkling glass, 
a queer little smile sometimes crossed his face as he 
wondered where he would get his next meal. Sir 



AUDUBON 289 

Thomas Lawrence, a noted portrait painter, helped 
him to sell his pictures, and this brought him a small 
income. But Audubon knew that to get money to 
have his book on "American Birds" published, the 
king must approve it. How could he manage to 
meet the king? 

Audubon called upon Mr. Gallatin, the American 
minister to England, to talk the matter over. The 
minister thought the artist a very simple man to 
imagine that the king would see him. He told 
Audubon that he, the American ambassador, had to 
wait six weeks before his Majesty granted him a 
meeting, which lasted but five or six minutes. 

But Audubon had made one friend who knew 
what his work was worth. Sir Walter Waller was 
the friend's name. Sir Walter said that the king 
must see those beautiful American birds that were 
so lifelike that one almost expected to hear them 
sing. He himself took the drawings to the king. 
His Majesty was charmed. 

" They are fine ! " he said. " Fine ! " And he put 
down his name for one of the books, not as a king, 
he said, but as a gentleman who loved what was 
beautiful and true. 

The king told Sir Walter that Audubon might 
publish his book under the protection of the crown. 
At last, after so many years of work and poverty, 
success had come. Audubon's fortune was made. 
When it became known that the king had bought 



290 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

one of his books, many rich people subscribed for 
copies. Indeed, any one who bought " American 
Birds" must be rich, for the price was one thousand 
dollars. 

As soon as he was sure of success, Audubon's 
first thought was of his true-hearted wife and boy at 
home in America. He returned to this country, 
where his wife and son became his agents. They 
sold many of the books. Audubon bought a home 
on the Hudson River. He named the estate for his 
wife. All the world now honored the artist. Kings 
and emperors sent him costly gifts ; scientific soci- 
eties added titles to his name. 

Audubon lived to be an old man, and when he 
died, was buried in New York City. A monument 
was raised to his memory, and his home, now within 
the city, is called Audubon Park. The State of his 
birth, Louisiana, also has a park in New Orleans 
named for him. The Audubon Society for children 
is the memorial which the great artist would most 
have appreciated. In this society children are 
taught the usefulness of birds to man, and to love 
and protect the beautiful, timid creatures who were 
so dear to the gentle Audubon. 

Questions. — i . What was Audubon's great work ? 

2. Explain how he learned so much about birds. 

3. Tell the story of Audubon's life. 

4. Find out all you can about the Audubon Society. 



CHAPTER XLIX 

THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR 

The saddest hours in Louisiana's history were yet 
to come. In 1861 the Civil War broke out between 
the Northern and the Southern States. 

To understand some of the causes which led to 
this war, we must go back many years. When the 
Revolutionary War was over and America was free 
from Great Britain, thoughtful men saw that the 
States could never prosper or be protected unless 
they united and formed a strong government. 
The colonies, however, had felt the power of Eng- 
land. They feared that if they united they would 
not be able to leave the Union at any time that 
they wished. They finally decided to join together 
as the United States of America, but it was under- 
stood that any State could withdraw if it chose. 
All the States, both Northern and Southern, made 
the same claim. In 181 1 Josiah Quincy of Massa- 
chusetts said that his State ought to leave the Union 
if Louisiana were admitted. Before and after this 
time, other States made similar assertions of the 
right of a State to leave the Union. When the 
nation was young, if there were disputes between 

291 



292 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Congress and the different States, Congress gave 
way to prevent trouble. 

In 1832 South Carolina refused to pay a tax which 
had been authorized by Congress. By this time 
there were people who said that the States must 
obey the laws made by Congress, and that they had 
no right to leave the Union, or secede, as it was 
called. General Andrew Jackson, who was then 
President of the United States, held this view, and 
there would have been trouble if the tax had not 
been lowered. 

As the years went by, the Union grew stronger. 
Every year there were more people who earnestly 
believed that the Constitution of the United States 
showed that a State could not secede. Others 
read the Constitution differently, and just as ear- 
nestly believed that the States had only entered into 
a contract which was to last so long as they felt 
benefited by it. 

There was another question to which the people 
gave serious thought. This was slavery. The 
traders who came from Africa with shiploads of 
negroes were Northern men who first sold their 
slaves both to the North and South. There were 
large factories in the North where cloth, shoes, 
and other goods were made. The slaves were 
not intelligent enouo-h to work in the factories, 
and the climate was too cold for them ; so slavery 
died out in the North. The negroes were, however. 



THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR 



293 



well suited to work on the big cotton, cane, and 
tobacco plantations of the warm South. Both sec- 
tions of the country felt the wrong of slavery. The 
South felt it even more than the North. She had 
millions of a lower race of people in her midst, and 
feared that, as years went by, evil would result. Yet 



,^g^'^'i1^^f£AAma*mm 




Picking Cotton 

she could not afford to do without the slaves, for 
her wealth lay in her soil, which the negroes worked. 

This state of affairs might have lasted for many 
years if it had not been for two important events. 
One of these was the invention of a machine 
known as the cotton gin ; the other was the Loui- 
siana Purchase. 

In 1793, Eli Whitney, a Massachusetts man, 
was visiting in Georgia. While there he saw 
negroes picking seed from the cotton by hand. 



294 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



In this slow way one negro could not clean more 
than one pound of cotton a day, though, by using a 
little machine called a roller-gin, five pounds was a 
day's work. As Whitney watched the negroes, an 
ingenious idea came to him. It resulted in his in- 
venting a machine which in one day would clean a 
thousand pounds of cotton. Henceforth the South 
could furnish all the Northern and English mills 

with cotton. This 
made cotton raising 
more and more prof- 
itable. Plantations 
increased rapidly, and 
the negro traders 
could hardly bring in 
slaves fast enough to 
work in the wide cot- 
ton fields. 

In 1803, the time of 
the Louisiana Purchase, the States east of the Mis- 
sissippi River were about evenly divided into slave 
and free States. Both North and South were con- 
tent with this arransfement. When the territories 
west of the Mississippi wanted to enter the Union 
as States, the question arose whether they should 
come in as free or slave States. The North de- 
clared that slaves could not be taken into the new 
purchase. The South insisted that the Constitu- 
tion and the Supreme Court of the United States 




Whitney's Cotton Gin 

After the original model 



THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR 295 

both declared that slaves were property, and that 
the court had decided that a man could take his 
property wherever he went. 

The real difficulty lay in the fact that the country 
had grown until both North and South contained a 
great many people, and both sections were fighting 
for power. Their business interests were different, 
and a tax which would help the Northern manufac- 
turer would perhaps injure the Southern planter. 
If the Western territories were settled by Northern 
people, the North would have more power in Con- 
gress and could pass laws beneficial to the North 
and harmful to the South. 

The people of both sections of the country were 
deeply stirred. Conventions were held, and wise 
men on each side urged their party to give up a 
little and keep the peace. But the excitement was 
too great for the difficulty to be settled peacefully. 
Though the slaves, as a rule, had kind masters and 
were happy, many people in the North began to 
write articles telling with what horrible cruelty the 
negroes were treated. The South became more 
angry than before, and determined to leave the 
Union. She believed that she had the right to do 
this, as the States had entered the Union with the 
understanding that each could withdraw at any time 
that it chose. South Carolina was the first State to 
withdraw, and other States soon followed. 

In March, 1861, a convention met in the Capitol 



296 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



at Baton RouQ-e. The wisest men in Louisiana 
thought that the people were acting with too great 
haste. They said it would be better to wait until 
every effort had been made to bring the two parts 
of the country to a peaceable agreement. Several 

of these men spoke with 
deep feeling before the con- 
vention. They implored the 
delegates to consider what 
a serious thing it was to 
break up the Union. They 
reminded them that the 
sacred history of our country 
belonged to both sections, 
that Northern and Southern 
men had framed the Consti- 
tution, had fought together 
in the wars with Great Brit- 
ain and Mexico, and had rejoiced over the same 
victories. 

But the eloquent speakers saw in the determined 
faces before them that most of the members of the 
convention had made up their minds to secede. 
Every Louisianian must be true to his State, so, 
with tears streaming down their cheeks, many of the 
speakers signed the ordinance of secession. This 
ordinance, which declared Louisiana to be no longer 
a State in the Union, was read on the boulevard 
fronting the state house. By some it was received 




Jefferson Davis 



THE CAUSES OF THE CIVIL WAR 297 

with wild cheers, but hundreds turned away with 
sorrowful faces. 

When Thomas O. Moore, who was governor at 
the time, called for troops, men fiocked in from all 
the parishes. Every home was open to the soldiers, 
and ladies went in the afternoons to see the regi- 
ments drill. The towns were gay with the sounds 
of fife and drum, and the stirring strains of Dixie 
and the Bonnie Blue Flao^. 

In February, 1861, representatives from the 
Southern States met at Montgomery, Alabama, 
and formed a government. The new government 
was called the Confederate States of America, and 
Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was made the Presi- 
dent. 

Questions. — i. Why did slaveholding die out in the North 
and increase in the South? 

2. Tell about the invention of the cotton gin and its effect on 
the South. 

3. How did the Louisiana Purchase, by adding a vast territory 
to the Union, affect the slavery question? 

4. Describe the secession convention at Baton Rouge. 

5. Tell about the organization of the Confederacy. 



CHAPTER L 

THE EARLY YEARS OF THE WAR 

General Beauregard, a Louisianian, opened the 
war by capturing Fort Sumter in South Carolina. 
He had been ordered to attack the fort because the 
North was sending supplies and ammunition to 
strengthen it. General Beauregard was trained to 
be a soldier at the United States Military Academy 
at West Point, New York. He had been a gallant 
officer in the Mexican War, and when the Civil War 
broke out was superintendent at West Point. When 
Louisiana seceded, he gave up his position, his hopes, 
and ambitions, and, like a true-hearted man, went 
back to his own people. 

At the fall of Fort Sumter, both North and South 
felt that the war had begun in earnest. Yet the 
Louisianians did not think it would ever reach their 
own State. For this reason most of the troops 
were sent to other States. Thus Louisiana was left 
unprotected. 

One of the first plans of the Federals, as the 
Northerners were called, was to get possession of 
the Mississippi River. If they controlled the Mis- 
sissippi, the Confederacy would be cut in two, for on 

298 



THE EARLY YEARS OF THE WAR 



299 



the west side of the river were Arkansas, Texas, 
and a large part of Louisiana. These States formed 
an important part of the Confederate territory. 

The Confederate government now made the same 
fatal mistake that the United States government had 
made in the War of 181 2. 
It was blind to the im- 
portance of New Orleans. 
General Lovell was sta- 
tioned there. He had been 
sending his men to Gen- 
eral Beauregard, and had 
but three thousand left 
under his own command. 
Only twelve hundred of 
these were armed. The 
fleet which was to defend 
the city was a pitiful col- 
lection of old steamboats, fitted out with oruns and 
otherwise made as warlike as possible. They were 
given the fierce-sounding names of the Warrior, the 
Defiance, and the Resolute, but there was no hope of 
their striking terror to the enemy. 

New Orleans was protected from below by Fort 
Jackson and Fort St. Philip. A raft of chains and 
logs was stretched across the river from one fort to 
the other to stop the Federal gunboats. The two 
forts had fifteen hundred men between them, and 
very little ammunition. 




p. G. T. Beauregard 



300 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

The Federal fleet, under the command of Com- 
modore Farragut, was large and powerful. Farragut 
had all the men and ammunition that he needed, and 
his officers were trained seamen. In addition to the 
naval force there was an army of thirteen thousand 
men under General B. F. Butler. 

On April 19, 1862, Farragut came up the river as 
far as the forts, and there determined upon a brave 
and daring act. While Commander Porter, one of 
his officers, was shelling the forts, Farragut boldly- 
broke through the chains and steamed toward New 
Orleans. It was a brave deed — one of the bravest 
in the history of our country. The news spread 
that Farragut was nearing the unprotected city. 
General Lovell thought it best to withdraw his 
troops. He had no chance against so powerful a 
foe, and knew that it would be better for the people 
of New Orleans if there were no Confederate sol- 
diers in the city unless there were enough to protect 
them properly. 

The night before the Federals landed, no one 
slept in New Orleans. Most of the men were 
away at the war, but the remaining citizens had 
hauled all the cotton and provisions from the ware- 
houses to the levee. Fifteen thousand bales of 
cotton and hundreds of barrels of salt meat and 
suear were set on fire. This was done so that the 
enemy might not seize them. When night fell, it 
seemed as if some wicked fairy had passed her wand 



THE EARLY YEARS OF THE WAR 



301 



over the city and changed it into the home of evil 
spirits. The smell of burning meat, sugar, and mo- 
lasses spread everywhere ; the flames from the cot- 
ton bales sent out fitful gleams and at last swept in 
wide sheets to meet the black clouds ; while from 
below came the sounds of booming cannon. 



mm 



■"*:^llr* 




Capture of Forts Jackson and St. Philip by Farragut 

All through that awful night men and women sat 
with pale faces, and with despair in their hearts. If 
the Federal troops captured New Orleans, they 
would have the key to the Mississippi Valley. Vic- 
tory seemed to be deserting the Southern cause. 

In the morning, Farragut steamed slowly up to 
the city. Two officers were sent from the flagship 
to demand the surrender of New Orleans. Mayor 
Monroe said that he had no military authority to 
give up the city, but as there were no soldiers to 



302 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

defend it, the enemy could take it. Federal troops 
lined the streets as the State flag was taken down 
and the United States flag was raised over the mint 
and city hall. New Orleans was captured. 

Farragut now turned the city over to General 
Butler. Before Farragut had taken formal posses- 
sion of New Orleans, several sailors, without his 
permission or knowledge, had hoisted the United 
States flag over the mint. Some wild boys, eighteen 
or nineteen years old, made a dash at the flag and 
pulled it down. One of the boys, named Mumford, 
was caught. The first act of General Butler, when 
he had taken command of New Orleans, was to 
hang this boy. The citizens did all they could to 
save the thoughtless lad's life. They explained 
to General Butler that the United States flag had 
not been hoisted by the command of Commodore 
Farragut, and that the city at that time was not in 
the hands of the Federals. 

General Butler, however, showed no mercy. He 
arrested ladies and gentlemen and sent them to Ship 
Island to work under a negro guard. Then he and 
his officers took possession of their elegant homes 
and stole the costly and beautiful articles which 
make up the homes of wealthy people. Thousands 
of dollars' worth of furniture, pictures, books, and 
silver were sent to the North. He armed the 
negroes to fight in the war waged against their 
former masters. In every possible way he wronged 



THE EARLY YEARS OF THE WAR 



303 



and insulted the citizens. Finally the better class 
of people in the North, some of Butler's own sol- 
diers, and the House of Commons in England 
blamed those who had sent such a man to New 
Orleans. He was then removed. Like O'Reilly, 
Butler left no friends behind him. Butler's place 
was filled by General N. P. Banks. 

Questions. — i. Why was the possession of New Orleans im- 
portant in the war? 

2. What defense did New Orleans have? 

3. Describe Farragut's capture of the city. 



^^^ 


IBMjP^^^sii^ ■. : '^P 


-"•;■•"■' tt 
■■' — ^ 


■".1 '^" a- 


%. ..■.'...■ 



Old City Hall, New Orleans 

Where the officers of the fleet came to demand 
surrender of the city. 



CHAPTER LI 

THE WAR AFTER THE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS 

The capture of New Orleans was only the begin- 
ninsf of Farrao-ut's work. It would not be finished 
until he had joined a Federal fieet above Vicksburg 
and had the clear sweep of the Mississippi River. 

The commodore now sent seven of his gunboats 
up the river to capture the towns on its banks. 
Baton Rouge and Natchez were not fortified, and 
surrendered, but Vicksburg and Port Hudson were 
able to hold out. Farragut then went up the river 
himself, and though the batteries at Vicksburg 
poured down shells upon his fleet, he passed them 
as bravely as he had sailed between Fort Jackson 
and Fort St. Philip. When Vicksburg was taken, 
Farragut went back to New Orleans. 

Meanwhile the Confederates had resolved to try 
to regain Baton Rouge, which was under the com- 
mand of the Federal general, Thomas Williams. 
The Confederate of^cer ordered to attack Baton 
Rouge was General Breckinridge, who had once 
been Vice-President of the United States. Breck- 
inridge did not think there was any chance of 
retaking Baton Rouge unless the Confederate ram 

304 



AFTER THE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS 305 



Arkansas reached there in time to protect him on 
the river side. The Arkansas had done some 
good fighting at Vicksburg, and had been ordered 
to Baton Rouge. 

General Breckinridge waited until he received 
the news that the Arkansas 
had passed Bayou Sara; then 
he marched against Baton 
Rouge. The battle began at 
once, and was stubborn! \' 
fought by both sides. The 
Federals were at last pushed 
to the river. There, instead 
of being fired upon by the 
Arkansas, they came under 
the protection of their own 
gunboats. The battle was 
lost to the Confederates, and all because the Arkan- 
sas had not arrived on time. 

Where was the Arkansas ? Breckinridge, in de- 
spair, asked himself the question a hundred times 
during the encounter. In the course of time he 
learned that as she sailed down the river her ma- 
chinery had got out of order. Though her men 
worked desperately to repair the damage, when the 
ram was five miles from Baton Rouge, the engineer 
said nothing could be done. At the same moment 
the gunboats of the enemy were sighted. The 
commander of the Arkansas steered for the bank. 




John C. Breckinridge 



3o6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

After the men had jumped ashore, the Arkansas 
was set on fire. As the flames reached the guns, 
they went off, and the little ram, without a guide, 
her flag flying, her guns booming, drifted down- 
stream, gallantly fighting her last battle. 

Not long after the battle at Baton Rouge, General 
Richard Taylor was appointed to take command of 
the Confederate forces in the State. General Taylor 
was the son of General Zachary Taylor, and an able 
oflicer. He did not come into the State with a 
well-drilled army. Confederates were becoming 
scarce, and he had to get his troops as best he 
could. At Opelousas Governor Moore gave him 
some militia, and in Vermilionville he met Ex- 
Governor Mouton. With the aid of the ex-governor 
and the Creoles in that part of the State, General 
Taylor raised a small army. 

The troops were collected none too soon. Taylor 
was attacked by a large Federal force sent up from 
New Orleans by General Banks, and was compelled 
to retreat to Natchitoches. 

While General Taylor was in the Lafourche 
country, he went up the little bayou. Petit Anse, to 
Avery's Island. This island of a thousand acres 
w^as the home of Judge Avery. For a long time it 
had been known that there were salt wells on the 
island, and Judge Avery had boiled the salt down 
and given it to his neighbors and to the Confederate 
soldiers. The judge thought that if he were to 



AFTER THE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS 307 

deepen the wells, he could get more salt. When 
the workmen began to dig, they struck an immense 
bed of pure rock salt. Judge Avery gave up this 
mine to General Taylor to be used for the Confed- 
eracy. Later a Northern gunboat went up Petit 
Anse to shell the mine, but became tangled in the 
marsh and was glad to get away without accomplish- 
ing its mission. The mine is still worked, and it 
seems as if the salt would never be exhausted. 

In 1863, the year that General Taylor retreated 
to Natchitoches, General Kirby Smith was sent to 
Louisiana. He was to have command of all the 
forces, with General Taylor under him. About 
this time General Banks crossed the Mississippi to 
aid in the siege of Port Hudson. General Taylor, 
now that it was no longer necessary to watch 
General Banks, went back into the southern 
parishes. 

Taylor carried out a well-laid plan to surprise the 
enemy at Berwick Bay. He came upon them with- 
out the least warning, taking seventeen hundred 
prisoners. As many of these were sick, Taylor sent 
them to the hospitals in New Orleans. What most 
pleased the Confederates was the large supply of 
stores which they found in the Yankee camp — 
guns, ammunition, medicine, and plenty of good 
food. Taylor's men were sadly in need of all these 
things. It had been many months since the poor 
fellows had received enough to eat. 



3o8 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

General Taylor next marched to the Mississippi 
and placed batteries on the river below Donaldson- 
ville. He hoped to keep the Federal gunboats from 
passing between New Orleans and Port Hudson. 
He intended to send a force against New Orleans, 
but the sad news came that Vicksburg had fallen, 
and five days later Port Hudson surrendered to 
General Banks. The Federal gunboats now pa- 
trolled the Mississippi from north to south. The 
Confederacy was cut in two. 

General Taylor was in a very dangerous position. 
There are in south Louisiana so many bayous which 
will float gunboats that his army was in peril from 
both land forces and fleets. He therefore retreated 
up Bayou Teche. The year 1S63 ^""^^ been a 
gloomy one for the Confederacy, not only in Louisi- 
ana, but all over the country, and the next year did 
not promise to be any brighter. The State was 
growing poorer, and the half-fed, half-clad soldiers 
in gray were becoming fewer in number. 

The last battles in Louisiana were fought at 
Mansfield and Pleasant Hill in the northern part 
of the State. On the outskirts of Mansfield, Gen- 
eral Taylor and his dwindling army stood at bay. 
Against them came a large force under General 
Banks. General Smith thought that Taylor should 
not fight such a large army, but Taylor said that he 
would defeat Banks. He did, and drove him back 
to the Mississippi. 



AFTER THE CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS 309 

The next 3^ear General Lee, the commander in 
chief of the Confederate armies, surrendered, and the 
war was at an end. Millions of graves dotted the 
hills and valleys of our country; fire, sword, and 
famine had swept over the South; but the war had 
settled the question which had cost so much. The 
States would never be allowed to leave the Union. 

Questions. — i. Give an account of General Breckinridge's 
attempt to take Baton Rouge from the Federals. 

2. Tell about General Taylor's success at Berwick Bay. 

3. Name the chief batdes that were fought in Louisiana. 

4. Who were the commanders of the Confederate and the 
Federal forces in Louisiana? 




iSr 



iwAtSnwMm^4 



CONFEDKRATE BATIXE 

Flag 



CHAPTER LII 

LOUISIANA IN 1864 

Abraham Lincoln, who was President of the 
United States during the Civil War, did not beUeve 
that a State could secede. He said that the South- 
ern States had never left the Union. President 
Lincoln knew that it was not according to the laws 
of a free country that a people should be under the 
rule of soldiers. He wanted as soon as possible to 
establish civil government; that is, a government in 
which the people rule themselves. 

There were a few men in the South who, when the 
war broke out, would not leave the Union, though 
they could not make up their minds to fight against 
their State. Lincoln's plan was to form a State 
government of these Union men in the parts of the 
Southern States which were under the control of 
the Federals. When General Butler was in New 
Orleans, President Lincoln directed him to attempt 
to form a civil government, but the general was too 
busy getting together the valuables which he took 
away from New Orleans to think of the good of 
the people. After he was removed, General Banks 
took up the matter. 

310 



LOUISIANA IN 1864 



311 



The President appointed a chief justice of the 
Supreme Court, and also put the lower courts in 
working order. In 1864 an election was held in 
South Louisiana, which was in the possession of 
the Federals. In this election Michael Hahn was 
chosen governor. In that same year the northern 
portion of the State, which 
was held by Confederates, 
elected Henry W. Allen gov- 
ernor. Louisiana should now 
have had her full share of civil *«^^ r ////a 




Henry W. Allen 



rights, for she had two gov- 
ernors, two legislatures, and 
two capitals. The Federal 
capital was New Orleans, and 
the Confederate, Shreveport. 
At this time the planters 
were in great trouble because they could get no one 
to work their plantations. Though the negroes in 
the southern parishes had not yet been set free, Con- 
gress forbade any one returning a runaway slave to 
his master. Therefore, swarms of negroes deserted 
the plantations and hung idly about the streets and 
camps in New Orleans. The planters urged Gen- 
eral Banks to make the negroes go to work. General 
Banks had not proved to be an able soldier, but 
he was a sensible man. He now did what was best 
for both negroes and white people. He gave certain 
orders and appointed an officer, called a provost 



312 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

marshal, to see that they were obeyed. Negroes 
were required to work if they had agreed to do so. 
They might work for whom they chose, but if they 
made a contract, they were forced to keep it; if they 
refused, they were turned over to the provost mar- 
shal and made to work on the streets without pay. 
Wages were to be paid by the month, and the mar- 
shal was to see that they were paid. He also settled 
disputes between the negroes and planters. 

What was going on in North Louisiana during 
this last year of the war ? Henry W. Allen, the gov- 
ernor, was born in Virginia, but had lived in Louisi- 
ana for many years. He had pledged his love and 
loyalty to his adopted State. When he came South, 
he first taught school, and later practiced law in a 
small town in Mississippi. After he had been there 
several years, he met an old planter from West Baton 
Rouge parish. The old man liked Allen's pleasant, 
frank manners, and persuaded him to settle in Baton 
Rouge. Through his new friend's influence, Allen 
soon had a large law practice. Several years later, 
at the death of the planter, it was found in his will 
that several of his plantations were to be sold very 
cheap to Allen. 

When the Civil War broke out, Allen joined the 
Confederate army with the rank of colonel. He 
fought gallantly through many battles, but it is as 
the "War Governor" that the Louisianians knew 
him best and loved him. As soon as he became 



LOUISIANA IN 1864 313 

governor he visited his people to talk over with 
them ways in which they could help themselves. 
Governor Allen then went to Shreveport and set to 
work with energy. He made an arrangement by 
which sugar and cotton could be sold beyond the 
Rio Grande. The money received was to buy 
only what was absolutely necessary, the people 
cheerfully agreeing to do without everything else. 

Small factories and stores were built, and the 
profit from them was put into the State treasury. 
From the pine trees turpentine was obtained ; castor 
oil was made from the castor-oil plant, and other 
medicines from roots and herbs. A small foundry 
turned out pots, kettles, and pans ; a card factory 
made cards for carding cotton. These cards were 
pieces of wood ten or twelve inches long and about 
six inches wide, with a handle in the middle. The 
pieces of wood were pierced with an awl, then wire 
was drawn through the holes and clinched on the 
back. The inside of the cards bristled like saws. 
Cotton was put between the two cards, and after a 
few deft movements from side to side, the carder 
tossed out long, slender flakes which were ready for 
the spinning wheel. When it had been spun, the 
thread was woven into cloth or knit into socks and 
stockings. Governor Allen encouraged the people 
to plant gardens, and to raise cowpeas, corn, and 
sweet potatoes, and as much cotton as possible. 

Toward the close of the war, the Federal legisla- 



314 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

ture met in New Orleans. It was made up of 
Northern and Southern men. The Northern mem- 
bers had come to Louisiana in the wake of the 
Federal army with the intention of getting rich 
quickly — honestly, if possible. The Southern mem- 
bers were those who had shouted loudest for the 
Confederacy when there was hope of success ; but 
who, at the fall of New Orleans, had sided with 
Butler. These unworthy men passed an act declar- 
ing that all those who had signed the ordinance of 
secession, and who had held public office in the 
State, were guilty of treason. 

A few months after the meeting of the legislature, 
the war closed. Governor Allen felt that he could 
not live in Louisiana under the new rule. He re- 
solved to go to the City of Mexico. Before leaving, 
he spoke to his loved people for the last time. He 
told them that, as they had fought like men, as men 
they knew how to make peace. He said that they 
were not to sit down and weep over what could not 
be helped, but to go to work with a will. 

Governor Allen died in the City of Mexico. 
Several years later his remains were brought to 
Baton Rouge. 

Questions. — i . When did Louisiana have two state govern- 
ments at the same time? How did this happen? 

2. Tell what you know about our " War Governor." 

3. What was done to supply clothing and medicines during 
the war? 



CHAPTER LIII 

LIFE IN LOUISIANA DURING THE WAR 

During the war, while the men were in distant 
parts of the country fighting, the women and children 
at home suffered many hardships. The mother was 
now head of the family, and she had to keep the 
children fed and clothed. The women in the towns 
found this more difficult than those in the country. 
There was no work for them to do, and many ladies, 
to keep their families from starving, were forced to 
go to the Federal quartermaster and draw rations. 
They took their stand in a long file made up largely 
of negroes, the first to come being the first served. 
Even then, to get the rations, the women had to 
take an oath to be faithful to the United States 
Sfovernment. 

On the plantations it was different. On every 
plantation there were a few faithful negroes who did 
not desert to the Yankees, and with the help of 
these the mistress managed pretty well. She and 
her " hands " raised chickens, worked a garden, and 
made a few bales of cotton. Ladies whose delicate 
hands had never been roughened by the slightest toil, 
learned to cook, wash, and iron, and hoe the gardens. 

315 



3i6 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

When the lower part of the State fell into the 
hands of the Federals, and the upper part was held 
by a few half-starved Confederates, the Louisiana 
women bravely accepted the situation. They knew 
they must depend upon themselves. They thought 
of many ingenious ways to get food and clothing. 
Tea, coffee, flour, and many other articles could not 
be raised at home. So coffee was made from sweet 
potatoes cut in little cubes and parched. For tea 
they used boiled sassafras roots. As few sugar 
mills were runnins:, both tea and coffee were sweet- 
ened with black molasses made in little home-made 
mills. Cakes were n)ade of meal sifted through 
fine cloth and sweetened with black molasses. As 
candles, soap, and starch could not be bought, 
they were prepared at home. The candles were 
made in this way: twisted strings were tied to 
a stick, and the stick was placed across tin molds 
so that each string fell exactly in the middle of the 
mold. Then melted tallow was poured into the 
molds, which were set in cold water. 

Soap, too, was easily made. Lye was prepared 
by dripping water through ashes. This lye was 
boiled with scraps of fat meat and old bones, and 
there was the soap ! Sometimes it was soft and 
sometimes it was hardened in molds, and even per- 
fumed, if the maker was so fortunate as to have a 
little peppermint, or anything with a pleasant odor. 

Pins and matches the plucky Louisianians could 



LIFE IN LOUISIANA DURING THE WAR 317 

not make. This, however, was a small matter. 
Thorns with a piece of wax for the head took the 
place of pins, and there was always fire somewhere 
in the neighborhood where one could get a few live 
coals. 

You need not think your grandmothers did not 
wear pretty clothes. During the first years of the 
war dresses were made of window curtains, sheets, 
and tablecloths. Afterwards, when these were gone, 
the Confederate women carded and spun cotton and 
wove cloth on little hand looms. They dyed the 
cloth different colors, as suited their fancy. Black- 
jack and walnut bark dyed the cotton black; laurel 
leaves dyed it yellow ; wild indigo made it blue ; and 
other colors were obtained by boiling the cloth wdth 
different leaves and barks and setting the colors with 
rusty nails. Shoes were sometimes made of old 
leather purses, bags, and the tops of trunks. If a 
lady wished to be especially elegant, she fashioned 
a pair of gloves from the legs of her husband's 
broadcloth trousers. 

It was in the making of hats that the skill of the 
Confederate women rose to genius. These were 
made of palmetto, plaited in very fine strips, which 
were sewed together and bent into shape. They 
were bleached white with sulphur, and trimmed with 
flowers made of scraps of ribbon, silk, and velvet, 
and with feathers plucked from the geese, ducks, 
and chickens. 



3i8 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

It was not only for their families that the Louisi- 
ana women worked in the trying days of the Civil 
War. They did a far more important work in 
clothing and feeding Confederate soldiers. Every 
town and neighborhood became a big sewing society 
where articles were made for the boys in gray. 
When the church bell rang, ladies and children 
would gather from all directions, carrying on their 
arms small baskets containing their scissors, needles, 
thimbles, and thread. At the beginning of the war, 
hat bands, handkerchiefs, and other dainty articles 
were embroidered ; but later there was only time to 
make the most necessary clothing. Boys and girls 
picked to pieces old linen rags, making soft piles 
of what is called lint. This was used to put on 
the wounds of the soldiers. 

The Federal soldiers kept guards on the outskirts 
of each town, letting no one in or out. Sometimes 
the people outside of the towns, particularly the sol- 
diers, needed so badly to purchase goods that they 
became desperate. Then it was that their brave 
women relatives came to the rescue. Many a lady, 
who, in better days, would not have crossed alone 
the dark hall of her plantation home, now ran the 
blockade. This is how it was done. Two or three 
bales of cotton were put on a wagon ; sometimes 
the gentle lady herself perched on the load, but 
usually she rode on horseback and an old negro 
took the reins. They started in the middle of the 



LIFE IN LOUISIANA DURING THE WAR 319 

night, and wound through the woods, keeping from 
the highway as much as possible. The reason for 
doing this was that in every neighborhood there 
was a trifling class of men who would neither work 
nor go to war. They were called jayhawkers. They 
stole from the women and children, and thought 
themselves very lucky when a load of cotton fell 
into their hands. 

If the travelers escaped the jayhawkers, they 
generally managed to slip into town and sell the 
cotton. It was fortunate that cotton brouorht grood 
prices in those days, for food and dry goods were 
very high. A barrel of flour cost fifteen hundred 
dollars; bacon and beef, twenty dollars a pound; 
sugar, coffee, and tea from forty to fifty dollars a 
pound. A calico dress cost three hundred dollars, 
and gloves, often not mates, were forty dollars a pair. 
This was in Confederate money, which many mer- 
chants would not take at all. 

Getting out of the towns was harder than getting 
in, as the guards searched every one for fear that 
somethino: might be taken to Confederate soldiers. 
The women had to resort to many ways of deceiving 
the guards. Big hoop-skirts were worn in those 
days, and cloth to make uniforms, cavalry boots, 
bottles of brandy, and cans of powder were tied on the 
hoops. Quinine and calomel were sewed into belts, 
and into " rats " worn in the hair, and sometimes 
dolls were stuffed with medicine for the soldiers. 



320 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



The Confederate women did their noblest work 
as nurses. The sick and wounded soldiers were 
carried to the largest church or hall in the town, 
where they were nursed with the tenderest devotion, 
and anything in the homes of the people was cheer- 
fully given to them. It was hard for the women to 
stay at home and bear such heavy burdens ; but 
through the anxious years only bright, hopeful 
letters went from the sorrowful South to warm the 
hearts of husbands and sweethearts in the army. 



Questions. — i. Tell something about the life of the women 
on plantations during the war. 

2. Why were they obliged to make for themselves the neces- 
sities of life ? 

3. What were some of the things the women did to help the 
soldiers ? 

4. Tell anything you can learn at home about life during the 
war. 




A Pair of Wooden-soled Shoes 

Worn by a Confederate soldier in the latter part of the war. 



CHAPTER LIV 



AFTER THE WAR 



As Governor Allen had said, the Southerners had 
fought like men, and like men they knew how to 
make peace. They still believed that a State had a 
right to secede, but they had been defeated in 
trying to prove their cause, and were willing to let 
the matter rest. The Confederate soldiers surren- 
dered in good faith. They went home from the 
war with their minds firmly made up to obey the 
United States laws and to feel no more bitterly 
than they could help. 

It was a hard home-coming. Many of the sol- 
diers who had lived in the towns returned to find 
their houses stripped from cellar to garret, and 
strangers living in them. Thousands never got 
back their property. Those who had Jived in the 
country found their broad acres overrun with grass 
and weeds ; not a fence rail on the plantation ; not 
a wagon, plow, horse, or mule ; the sugar-house 
and cotton-gin burned; the wife and children often 
living in the quarters ; and all that was left of the 
once stately home charred columns standing in a 
bed of ashes. 

321 



322 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Now as to the soldier himself, sometimes a grad- 
uate of one of the English, Scotch, or German uni- 
versities ; perhaps owner of a splendid library and 
art treasures collected in Europe, or possessor of a 
laboratory or an observatory with a telescope which 
cost several thousand dollars. Did he appear like a 
fairy prince whose magic presence alone would 
restore order and thrift to the scene of desolation ? 
The home-comer was ragged, barefoot, and half- 
starved; often he was crippled, or had come home 
to die. Yet the brave Louisianians made the best 
of this state of affairs. The past could not be 
helped, it was gone ; but the future was theirs, 
and they meant to use it well. 

Most of the negroes, after some months of idle- 
ness, went back to their old masters and began to 
work for wages. Hard as times were, it was not 
long before parties were given and dancing feet 
aeain moved to the sound of the fiddle and bones. 
These gatherings were called "starvation parties," 
because there were no refreshments and the dancers 
looked as if they had dressed for a masked ball. 
Just after the war it was not considered respectable 
to dress well. Any one with money was suspected 
of having stayed at home to sell cotton to the Yan- 
kees instead of joining the army. Poverty was the 
badge of an aristocrat. It was only the young who 
knew how to live in the New South. The old 
people did not have courage to begin life anew, A 



AFTER THE WAR 323 

good many sold out and went to France ; a few 
went to California ; but most of them, after a few 
years, died. 

As President Lincoln had believed that the 
Southern States, though rebellious, were still in the 
Union, it seemed a simple matter to him to have 
the courts soon in running order, the representatives 
► back in Congress, and the States on their old foot- 
ing in the Union. He had said that the Louisiani- 
ans should not lack a fair election if he could give 
it to them. Lincoln had in his heart no thought of 
revenge toward the Southern people. It was a 
terrible blow to the whole South when five days after 
the surrender he was killed by a half-crazed actor. 

The next President, Andrew Johnson, felt kindly 
toward the South. He wanted to finish what 
Lincoln had begun, but went about it in a different 
way. He did not have Lincoln's good judgment 
nor his influence upon Congress. Worse even 
than Lincoln's death was the fact that at this time 
two of the most influential men in Congress worked 
against the South. These men were Charles Sum- 
ner and Thaddeus Stevens. 

For a long time there was a bitter quarrel 
between the President and Congress. Congress 
went so far as to try to put the President out of 
office. It did not succeed in this, but it did succeed 
in taking out of his hands the power to help the 
Southern States. 



324 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

After the war an amendment, or new law, was 
added to the Constitution, setting the negroes free. 
Another amendment, called the Fourteenth Amend- 
ment, gave the negroes the right to vote. By this 
law also all the leading Southerners — all who had, 
previous to the war, held any State or national office 
and had in any way helped the Confederacy — 
were prohibited from holding any public office. 
The States could not enter the Union until they 
had aijreed to the Fourteenth Amendment. 

At this same time Congress made new laws for 
the Freedman's Bureau. The Bureau had been 
established during the war for the purpose of looking 
after the needs of the negroes. Following the 
Fourteenth Amendment, the Bureau was given the 
power to sell lands which had been taken from 
Confederate soldiers and use the money for negro 
schools. If the Southern people interfered with the 
Bureau, United States soldiers were to settle the 
matter at the point of the bayonet. All the con- 
tracts between the negroes and the planters were to 
be first approved by the Bureau. The negroes be- 
lieved that the United States government would 
support them for the rest of their lives, and that the 
property of the white people was to be divided 
among them, so as to give each negro forty acres 
and a mule. They would not work ; taxes were 
high ; no crops could be raised, and the planters 
were driven almost to distraction. 



AFTER THE WAR 325 

In the meantime there was a struggle in Loui- 
siana to prevent the meeting of a convention, the 
object of which was to give the negroes the right 
to vote. There was a riot, and about forty-four 
negroes were killed. It was, however, useless to 
resist Congress. The followers of Sumner and 
Stevens declared that the South was conquered ter- 
ritory, and that it should be treated as such. The 
seceded States were divided into five military dis- 
tricts. Each district was to be under an office 
with a regiment of soldiers. General Sheridan was 
sent to Louisiana and Texas. The Louisianians 
protested that it was not lawful to put troops over a 
people in time of peace. They would prove in the 
courts that such an act was unlawful. General. 
Sheridan then removed the attorney-general and 
other officials from office. The courts were broken 
up. There was no longer self-government in Loui- 
siana. She was under the rule of a dictator. 

Questions. — i. What was Governor Allen's advice to the 
citizens of Louisiana? 

2. Why was the assassination of Lincoln a misfortune to the 
South ? 

3. What was the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution? 

4. What was the Fourteenth Amendment? 

5. What was the Freedman's Bureau? 



CHAPTER LV 

THE KU KLUX KLAN 

Following the Federal army into Louisiana was 
a class of men who received the name of carpet- 
baggers. This name was given them because it 
was said that each one could carry all he owned in 
a carpet-bag. Many of the carpet-baggers were the 
riffraff of the North who saw the helpless condition 
of Louisiana and thought that it would be a good 
time to plunder her. General Sheridan, with his 
troops to back him, would not allow any man to 
vote who had not taken the oath that the Recon- 
struction Act required. This oath required a man 
to swear that he had never been in the Confederate 
army or given help to the Confederate soldiers. 
Louisiana's leading citizens could not take this 
Test Oath ; they were, therefore, shut out from 
governing their own State, and Louisiana fell help- 
less into the hands of a few of her own unworthy 
citizens, ignorant negroes, and carpet-baggers. 

In 1868, H. C. Warmoth, one of the newcomers, 
was elected governor; the lieutenant governor was 
Oscar J. Dunn, a negro. The negroes flocked to 
the side of the carpet-baggers, for the poor, untaught 

326 



THE KU KLUX KLAN 327 

creatures looked upon these men as standing for the 
party which had freed them. They Hstened with 
beheving ears to the tales that now the blacks and 
whites were equal, that their children would go to 
the same schools, and that the property of the white 
people would be given to them. There was but one 
result to this kind of teaching. The negroes would 
not work, and became impudent and dangerous. 
They became a source of great peril. 

The sons of Louisiana were crippled, but life was 
left to them, and they would give it, if necessary, to 
protect their homes. They could not stand forth in 
the light and give royal battle to the foe ; but they 
could strike in the dark, and strike with the deadly 
aim of the rattlesnake of their own swamps. 

It was at this time that the Ku Klux Klan under- 
took its work. In its beginning the Ku Klux Klan 
had no idea of the great good it was to accomplish 
in the South. The society began in a spirit of idle- 
ness and fun. One evening, not long after the war, 
several young men were sitting in a lawyer's office 
in a small Tennessee town. They had no money 
with which to go into business, and did not know 
what to do with themselves. 

" Boys," said one of them, " let's get up a society 
of some sort ! " 

Just the thing! They all took to the idea at 
once. The purpose of the next meeting was to 
bring in more of their comrades, write a ritual for 



328 . HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

their society, and give it a name. One member 
suggested that a Greek word, Kuklos, meaning 
circle or band, would be a suitable name. Another 
said, " Let's call it Ku Klux." Another young 
fellow cried out, " Klan ! " So there stood the 
brotherhood, the famous Ku Klux Klan. 

The principal officers were the Grand Dragon 
and his eight Hydras ; the Grand Titan and his six 
Furies; the Grand Cyclops and his two Night 
Hawks. The place of meeting was called the Den. 
Every member was required to have a white mask 
for the face ; a tall cardboard hat, which made him 
appear much taller than he really was ; a gown, 
white, black, or colored, to cover him completely; 
and a small whistle. The members swore to abso- 
lute secrecy. 

The Klan met in a dreary place on the edge of 
the town. The house was an old, tumble-down 
building with a deep cellar, and was surrounded 
by trees whose huge trunks had been bent or broken 
by many storms. Negroes going by in the dark 
reported that strange happenings were taking place 
in the old house. There were uncanny sounds, 
such as piercing shrieks and bursts of insane laugh- 
ter more terrifying to the belated traveler than the 
imagined wail of lost spirits. The house, it was 
said, would in an instant become brilliantly lighted 
from roof to cellar ; there would be sounds of merry 
dancing to unearthly music. Then in the twinkling 



THE KU KLUX KLAN 



329 



of an eye all would become as dark and silent as 
before. The roads about the Den became deserted 
after night-fall. 

People began to think the Ku Klux must have 
some serious work to do, and to wonder what it 
was. The society spread, and dens were established 
throughout the Southern States. The Ku Klux 
noticed that disorderly blacks 
and whites began to behave 
better wherever there were 
dens. 

During the reign of the 
carpet-baggers the Louisiani- 
ans formed a secret society to 
protect themselves. It was 
called the League of the 
White Camellia, but after a 
time, all secret societies for 
self-protection in the South- 
ern States were known as the 
Ku Klux Klan. Negroes under the influence of 
the carpet-baggers and teachers from the North 
often became impudent, or committed crimes which 
the white men had not the power to punish by law. 
Whenever this was the case, the Ku Klux would 
take a ride. At the witching hour of midnight, 
when all was quiet in the cabin, the trembling, 
smothered notes of a screech owl coming from the 
moist, dark wood would cause the sleepers to stir 




Ku Klux Members 

Permission of Dr. Walter L. Fleming. 



330 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

restlessly. Then came the sound of a soft whistle, 
and liorses' hoofs trampled before the cabin door. 

The negroes sat bolt upright with gasping breath 
and eyes widened in fear. The door was opened, 
and hideous figures filled the room. All wore 
masks. Some were in white, while others wore 
black, with deep red circles about the eyes. Still 
others were headless. This effect was given by 
drawing the gown together over the head of the 
wearer. The headless Ku Klux carried a grinning 
skull on his arm and had skeleton fingers which he 
held out in a most friendly manner to shake hands 
with any one near him. Perhaps he said he was 
thirsty. The trembling negro would bring a bucket 
of water. Then the headless visitor would thrust 
aside the gourd dipper, and raising the bucket, pour 
down the whole contents — not into his stomach, 
however, but into a leather bag beneath his robe. 
When the last drop had disappeared, he would say : 
"That's good! It's hot where I came from, and 
this is the first water I've tasted since I was 
killed at Shiloh!" 

The Ku Klux made the negroes believe they were 
the ghosts of Confederate soldiers. Before they left, 
a few words of good counsel would be spoken, and 
these always had a good effect. If the negro had 
committed a crime, his body was left dangling at 
the end of a rope from the nearest tree. Carpet- 
baggers who had a bad influence upon negroes 



THE KU KLUX KLAN 



33^ 



received something like this: "Some live to-day, 
to-morrow die. You will be led out by the Klan 
and learnt to stretch hemp. Bludy Moon ! Black 
Knight! Last Hour! Beware! Beware!! Be- 
ware!!! Ku Klux." The carpet-bagger was not to 
be seen the next morning. In this way the new- 
comers were driven from small towns and country 
neighborhoods. 

White people knew 
the Ku Klux were not 
ghosts, but they did not 
know who they were, 
and many were very 
anxious to find out. 
Once the Grand Dracjon 
sent word that on a cer- 
tain night the Klan 
would parade through 
the streets of a town. 
The streets were full of curious people who felt they 
would now discover the secret. One man who said 
he knew every horse in the country lifted the cover- 
ing from the horse of a Ku Klux, and, to his aston- 
ishment, found it was his own. No one ever found 
out who the Ku Klux were until they disbanded, 
and the members gave up the secrets of the order. 
The Klan kept together for two years. At the end 
of that time wicked men took advantage of the dis- 
guise to wreak vengeance on their enemies. They 




Permission of Dr. Walter L. Fleming. 



332 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

claimed to be Ku Klux, and their actions gave the 
society a bad name. The real Ku Klux Klan felt 
the day of their usefulness was over, so they dis- 
banded. 

Questions. — i. Who were the carpet-baggers? 

2. What was the origin of the Ku Klux Klan? 

3. How did it protect the community? 

4. Describe some of the doings of the Ku Klux Klan. 



CHAPTER LVI 

THE REVOLUTION OF 1 874 

While the Ku Klux could protect the country 
people and those living in small towns, it could not 
take the State out of the hands of the carpet-bag- 
gers, for they were upheld by the United States 
government. In 1870, when Warmoth was gov- 
ernor, Louisiana became a den of thieves. The 
legislature was made up largely of negroes ; the 
superintendent of education was a negro ; nearly 
every office in the State was in the control of cor- 
rupt men. Robbery was wholesale. The expenses 
of a legislator were sometimes over one hundred 
dollars a day; the school funds were stolen ; and the 
State was forty million dollars in debt. Other 
Southern States were in debt through misrule, but 
Louisiana was in the lead. All the State officials 
became rich ; and Warmoth, the governor, who had 
entered office a poor man, at the end of -four years 
was worth a million dollars. This money came out 
of the people, who were taxed until they could not 
pay, and many lost their homes. Misery was wide- 
spread from one end of the State to the other. 

At last the old saying that thieves will fall out 
came true. The officeholders began to quarrel 

333 



334 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

over the plunder. Warmoth led one faction; two 
men named Packard and Carter led the other. 
Warmoth sent a report of affairs to President Grant 
at Washington. Packard did the same. Tlie two 
leaders kept up their dispute until the Packard 
party became the stronger and Warmoth, to save 
himself, joined the respectable class of Louisianians. 

John McEnery was nominated governor, and was 
elected. The Packard party nominated Kellogg 
for governor. On this ticket the lieutenant gov- 
ernor, secretary of state, and superintendent of edu- 
cation were negroes. When McEnery was elected, 
the Packard faction seized the State House. The 
McEnery party took possession of the City Hall. 
Both McEnery and Kellogg were determined to 
have the oflfice, and President Grant was called 
upon to settle the question. Grant decided in 
favor of Kellogg. The quarrel, however, went on. 
McEnery began to drill militia. There were fre- 
quent fights between his militia and the metro- 
politan police, a body of soldiers that protected 
Kellogg. There were uprisings of the people in 
all the parishes. The Louisianians at length de- 
cided that this state of affairs should go on no 
longer. They formed themselves into a league, 
called the White League, and swore that they 
would have white rule, or die in the attempt. 

On September 13, 1874, the White League pub- 
lished in the morning paper an appeal to all loyal 



THE REVOLUTION OF 1874 335 

citizens, urging them to meet the next clay on Canal 
Street in New Orleans. The morning of the 14th 
found the men of New Orleans answering to the 
call. A committee of five was sent to Kellogg to 
tell him that the people of the State considered that 
he had not got his ofifice honestly, and that he must 
give it up. But Kellogg was not to be found. He 
had taken refuge in the Custom House, where there 
was a Federal squad of armed men to protect him. 
There were no negroes to be seen on the streets 
that day. The citizens were told to go home and 
to meet again at two o'clock in the afternoon. 

From different parts of the city men began to 
gather, and by three o'clock all was ready. The Met- 
ropolitans were the first to open fire. The League 
was poorly armed, but made a bold charge. Giving 
the " rebel yell," the old Confederates charged upon 
the Metropolitans, and chased them down the open 
levee, past the Custom House, where the United 
States troops were guarding Kellogg. As the citi- 
zen soldiers dashed past, the soldiers took off their 
caps and cheered them on. The Federal soldiers 
had been in the State long enough to understand 
the conditions, and most of them were in sympathy 
with the Louisianians. When night came, the city 
was in the control of the citizens. The victory was 
dearly won, for sixteen patriots had given their 
lives in the cause of liberty. 

Were the Louisianians. now free ? Not yet. 



336 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

President Grant sent down more troops to protect 
Kellogg. Yet something had been accomplished. 
When, seven months after the battle of the 14th 
of September armed men entered the senate cham- 
ber and put out members who had been elected, 
Congress sent a committee to find out what was the 
matter. The committee reported that the Louisi- 
anians wanted nothing but "justice, fair elections, 
and good government." The people in the North 
were a long time learning of the hardships of their 
sister State, but they learned at last. 

In 1876, Francis T. Nicholls was elected governor. 
He received eis:ht thousand more votes than Pack- 
ard, who claimed that he had been elected. 

Nicholls had been a brave soldier, and he was just 
as brave a citizen. He said, " I have been elected 
governor, and I intend to be a governor." Nicholls 
took the oath of ofifice on an open gallery fronting a 
park, and was cheered by thousands. Packard took 
the oath behind closed and guarded doors. For the 
third time Louisiana had two governors. In this 
election Federal troops did not interfere. They 
were soon afterwards removed, and the carpet-bag 
government fell to pieces. Louisiana, after ten 
years of struggle, was free. 

Questions. — i. What was the condition of the State govern- 
ment for ten years after the war ? 

2. Why was the White League formed ? 

3. Tell about the events of the fourteenth of September, 1874. 



CHAPTER LVII 

DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 

The long, desperate struggle was over; but the 
Louisianians had come into their birthright, and 
law, justice, and order again reigned. The same 
determined spirit which had carried them through 
the war, and which had given them strength to re- 
sist carpet-bag rule, now upheld them. With a pur- 
pose not to be set aside, they went to work to build 
up the State. 

There were three drawbacks to Louisiana's prog- 
ress. These were : the channels at the mouth of 
the Mississippi were not deep enough for the pas- 
sage of big ships ; the levees were not strong enough 
to hold back the Mississippi ; and the State was in 
yearly danger of a yellow fever epidemic. 

Far back in the early days of the State, about 
the time that Bienville succeeded in making New 
Orleans the capital of the new province, a French 
engineer saw that New Orleans might be given a 
deep waterway to the sea. The mouth of the 
Mississippi had no good channel on account of sand- 
bars continually forming in the passes. Thus big 

337 



338 HISTORY OK LOUISIANA 

ships could not go back and forth. The engineer 
of Bienville's day had proposed a plan to deepen the 
channel, but the struggling colony had no money 
for such a costly enterprise. 

As time went by, dredging machines were used to 
take the sand away, but the work was expensive and 
could not be properly done. The merchants of New 
Orleans suffered heavy losses, for ships with rich 
cargoes were often aground many days on the sand- 
bars. In 1874 an engineer, Captain James B. Eads, 
thought he saw a way to clear out the sand. His 
idea was much the same as that of the French en- 
gineer of Bienville's time. The plan of both was 
simply to let the Mississippi do her own dredging. 
Captain Eads built two long lines of "mattresses" 
made of willow, held firmly in place by long piles. 
One " mattress " extended from the east, the other 
from the west, leaving a passage of more than a 
half mile between them. The river, crowding rest- 
lessly to the gulf, could not pass over the " mat- 
tresses," and had to surge into the pass. Thus it 
cut deep into the sand, sending it whirling to the 
sea. Eads built the " jetties," as they were called, 
"in four years, and since their completion the prod- 
uce of Louisiana has been carried through them to 
many foreign countries. The United States fur- 
nished the money to build tlic jetties. 

If the levees were not kept sound, there would 
be no produce to send away. There was no way 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 



339 



to put the Mississippi to work repairing the levees. 
The part that the river played was that of destruc- 
tion. For many years the Mississippi and the plant- 
ers fought for mastery, and in 1882 it appeared as if 
the river might win. In that year there were two 
hundred and eighty-four crevasses, — more than fifty- 
six miles of caving levees. This meant a great deal 








^ 



Jetties at the Mouth of the Mississippi River 

of water flooding the State. It was fun for the boys 
and girls to go craw-fishing, and to swirl through 
water down the railroad track on hand-cars. They 
could step from their galleries into pirogues, gliding 
over fields and through the woods. There was a 
new charm in the well-known places which now 
looked strange and weird. 

But fathers and mothers got no amusement from 
the overflows. To them every ripple of the creep- 
ing water seemed a death knell. Levee building 
cost a great deal of money. The Louisianians 
anxiously asked themselves how they could pro- 



340 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

tect themselves. Probably they could not have 
done so, had not the United States government 
again helped them. Levees were built wide enough 
at the top for a carriage road, and at last the peo- 
ple felt safe. 

The next important matter to be considered was 
some means to check the yellow fever epidemics. 
This seemed almost beyond human skill. In 1878 
more than four thousand people in Louisiana died of 
yellow fever. Towns in which the fever raged were 
shut in, and towns still free of the fever were 
guarded night and day by armed men who turned 
back men, women, and children fleeing from the 
stricken localities. These people had to find shel- 
ter and food as best they could. They suffered in- 
tensely. Trains were not allowed to take out 
freight ; steamboats were not permitted to land ; 
business was dead, and the people from other States 
shunned Louisiana as they would a pesthouse. 

Several years later relief came. A quarantine 
station was built at the mouth of the Mississippi. 
Officers visited the ships which came from ports 
where there was yellow fever. The ships were 
purified, and the passengers were not allowed to 
enter the State until there was no danger of their 
spreading the fever. The last terrible epidemic was 
that of 1878. The fever has come into the State 
several times since, but in a mild form, and people 
no longer dread it as formerly. It is now believed 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 



341 



that yellow fever is caused by the bite of a mosquito, 
and it is thought that by killing the mosquitoes the 
disease may finally be kept away entirely. 

Since 1882 many settlers from the Northern and 
Western States have come into Louisiana. These 
people were not accustomed to large tracts of land 
in their old homes, and they taught the Louisi- 




Rapides Parish Court-house, Alexandria, La. 

anians that, by using improved plows, rakes, and 
mowers, a good living might be made on a small 
place. The small farms are increasing. Many of 
them are planted almost entirely in Irish and sweet 
potatoes, onions, beans, tomatoes, melons, and fruits. 
There are two reasons for this. One is that in 1908 
the boll weevil, which lives on cotton, appeared in 
Louisiana and forced the farmers to plant some- 
thing to take its place. Another reason is that 
there is a great deal of profit in truck farming. 
Vegetables, fruits, and melons ripen early in the 



342 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



warm South, and can be shipped North several 
weeks before the Northern vegetables are ready. 
One great good resulting from the small farm is 
that it brings the country people nearer together. 
They build good roads, thus making it possible for 




Marble Hall in the Custom House, New Orleans 



the children within a certain distance to attend the 
same school. More money is put into the one 
school, and the country child can be better edu- 
cated. He is taught to love the country, to study 
plant life, to study the soil, and to know that for- 
tunes are to be made by those who go about farming 
in the right way. 

The wealth of Louisiana is chiefly in her soil, but 



DEVELOPMENT OF THE STATE 343 

the time is coming when she will have many sources 
of wealth. She has valuable salt and sulphur mines ; 
thousands of acres of untouched timber lands; rich 
prairies where herds of cattle are raised with little 
expense; since 1900 natural gas and oil have been 
discovered. Creameries and fruit and vea:etable can- 
ning factories are springing up over the State, and 
it will not be many years before cotton will be made 
into cloth in Louisiana's own mills, as her cane is 
now made into sugar. 

Questions. — i. State two things done by the national govern- 
ment that have promoted the industries and commerce of Louisi- 
ana. 

2. Explain the use of the jetties at the mouth of the Missis- 
sippi. 

3. How can the State be protected against yellow fever? 

4. What are some of the advantages of farming on a small 
scale ? 

5. Make a list of all the industries of Louisiana that you know 
about. Classify them as agriculture, manufacturing, mining, etc. 



CHAPTER LVIII 

LOUISIANA CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS 

We all belong to the same American family, there- 
fore manners and customs throughout the Union 
are much ahke. Emigrants from the Atlantic 
coast going to the South and West always carried 
some of their old habits. Yet the simple home life 
of each State differs in some respects from that of 
every other. Louisiana, especially the southern por- 
tion, has many customs peculiar to herself, owing 
to having been first settled by the French and 
Spanish. The northern part of the State is more 
under the influence of the English-speaking parts 
of the country. 

Settlers from Tennessee and Georgia brought 
into North Louisiana, among othei old customs, 
those of log-rolling and quilting bees. Long years 
ago, on reaching a place which he thought would 
make a suitable home, the settler cleared a space 
and built his house, but one man and his slaves 
could not cut down and roll away a sufficient num- 
ber of logs to clear a plantation. Therefore, every 
spring the planters in a neighborhood took turns in 
helping one another. They collected on one planta- 

344 



LOUISIANA CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS 345 

tion and cut down trees ; then, by placing long poles 
under the logs, rolled them together and set them 
afire. The men next passed to some other planta- 
tion, and in this way, by clearing a few acres every 
year, farms of good size were soon made ready for 
planting. Thousands of acres of valuable timber 
thus went to ashes. In this more thrifty age, the 
loo:s would have been sent to sawmills and made 
into barrels, staves, and planks. 

While the men were occupied with log-rolling, 
the women were holding a quilting bee. The in- 
dustrious wife had spent many a long winter evening 
in making quilt patches. These were now sewed 
together, stretched in long frames, and quilted, the 
neighborly women turning out a fine pile of quilts. 

In the fall there was another gathering of the 
neighbors. Sitting around blazing fires of pine knots, 
they merrily husked corn. The shucks were put 
into several cribs to be used for fodder, while other 
cribs were filled almost to bursting with the golden 
corn. The shucking always ended with a dance 
and a big supper. 

One of the old-time customs in South Louisiana, 
which is still observed in a few parishes, is the 
chiavari. When a widow or widower married, a 
man ran about screaming, " Fire ! Fire ! " Men, 
women, and children then gathered before the house 
of the newly married couple, shouting, beating on 
old kettles, tin pans, drums, clashing 'shovels and 



346 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

tongs together, blowing on combs, tooting horns, 
and making every loud noise imaginable. The 
policemen never interfered, for the crowd was always 
good-tempered. The chiavari lasted until the bride 
and groom made their appearance. They were 
usually sensible enough to come out on the gallery 
and invite the people in to have a glass of wine. 
When this was done, the noise suddenly ceased, 
and after drinking the health of the newly wedded 
pair, the crowd went quietly home. 

Long ago a rich and beautiful young widow mar- 
ried a man who was considered unworthy of her. 
The fair lady refused to be seen and moved from 
house to house, but the mob follow^ed. The chia- 
vari lasted three days and nights. Finally, in 
order to put a stop to it, the crowd was given 
three thousand dollars. This money, however, was 
not touched by a single person in the chiavari; 
every cent of it was given to orphans. 

A Creole lady never paid the first visit to a lady 
movinof into her neifjhborhood. It was considered 
true politeness to permit the new person to choose 
her associates. This practice has not died out. 

The old-time usage of lagniappe is passing away. 
The word lagniappe is taken from the Spanish 
phrase la nappa, which means a sweetening — 
something to make one pleased with his bargain. 
Lagniappe in Louisiana means a small addition to 
a purchase, and was given only in grocery stores. 



348 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

Only a few years ago, every grocer kept a box of 
candy or small cakes to be given away, and every 
customer looked upon lagniappe as his right, and 
demanded it. Small stores felt that giving away so 
much was too great a tax upon them, and they 
agreed to give no more lagniappe. 

Buying a " quarti's worth " is very popular with 
housekeepers. When vegetables are cheap, five 
cents buys more of one kind of vegetable than a 
small family can use for a meal. Then the house- 
keeper may buy a quarti (half of five cents) of 
tomatoes, and a quarti of snap beans, thus getting 
two kinds of vegetables for five cents. 

At one time, and but a few years ago, the keeping 
of Sunday in South Louisiana was different from 
what it now is. More buying was done on Sunday 
than on any other day, as many people had to work 
hard all the week, and put off the shopping to be 
done on their holiday. On Sunday the merchants 
spread out their wares most temptingly, and as the 
people passed down the streets with their loaded 
market baskets, they jostled against each other 
good-naturedly as they stopped outside the attractive 
show windows before going in to shop. A law, 
called the Sunday law, has been passed, which 
now requires merchants to close their stores on that 
day. Yet, in many parishes, while Sunday is no 
longer a day for business, it is looked upon as a 
day for pleasure. First, people go to church, and 



LOUISIANA CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS 349 

then to market, and Sunday marketing is never 
undertaken lightly, but performed with care and 
nice judgment. A little money is daily put aside 
by the poor for the Sunday dinner, and poor indeed 
must be the white or the black who passes out of 
the market without a chicken, a salad, and okra or 
file for gumbo. After the dinner there are different 
forms of amusement, such as baseball, horse racing, 
and a ball at night. 

Questions. — i. Why do some parts of Louisiana have customs 
unhke those of any other parts of the United States ? 
' 2. Describe some of the ways in which neighbors helped one 
another in the early days. 

3. Find out some custom peculiar to the State, besides those 
mentioned in the book. 




Cotton Levee, New Orleans 



CHAPTER LIX 

LOUISIANA CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS {coiltiuued) 

Tournaments were common in most Southern 
States, and were a favorite form of amusement in 
Louisiana. On the day of the tournament hundreds 
of people occupied rows of seats such as are now 
seen at the circus, while carriages and buggies 
crowded the grounds. 

In the centre of the race track was a wooden 
structure, upon the extended arms of which hung 
wooden rino;s. At the hour set for the tournament 
to begin, twenty-five young men appeared, sitting 
with graceful ease upon spirited horses. The men 
were dressed as knights, wearing in their hats wav- 
ing plumes, and carrying pointed lances. Each 
knight, riding at full speed, was to capture as many 
rings as possible. The first started with lance 
poised and well aimed ; following, in quick succes- 
sion, another rode out; then another, and another, 
until all the contestants were dashing round and 
round the race track. When the rings were all 
captured, it was the privilege of the knight holding 
the greatest number on his lance to choose a lady 
upon whose head he placed a wreath of flowers, thus 
crowning her Queen of Love and Beauty. The 

350 



LOUISIANA CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS 351 

knight taking the next largest number of rings 
crowned the First Maid of Honor, and so on until 
there were four in the royal party. At night there 
was always a ball, in which the successful knight and 
his queen led the dance. 

Sometimes, instead of rings, an old gander was 
suspended in the centre of the race track. As the 
riders shot past, each one tried to pull the neck of 
the dodging gander, and he who succeeded in hold- 
ing the head in his hand won the right to choose 
the Queen. The "gander pulling" was a sport so 
cruel that rings were oftener used. 

At one time in the United States quarrels and 
disagreements between men were settled by duel. 
Nowhere was this practice more popular than 
among the Creoles. A gentleman who felt himself 
wronged by another sent a challenge to the man 
who had offended him. He who received it misht 
have intended no harm, and miofht consider duelinsf 
wrong, yet he would have been shunned as a coward 
if he had refused to fiQ-ht. There was a law against 
dueling, but the people believed so firmly that it 
was the only honorable way to settle a difficulty, 
that the law was not enforced. After a challenge 
had been accepted, each man chose his second. 
The seconds selected the place of meeting, saw 
that the pistols or swords were in good condition, 
marked off the distance between the duelists, and 
gave the signal to begin. 



352 



HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 



The Oaks, one of the most famous dueHng 
grounds in the world, was in the suburbs of New 
Orleans. Duels were fought over unimportant mat- 
ters that in these days would call for scarcely a 
passing thought. A challenge would spring from a 
slight misunderstanding at a dance, an impolite act, 




" The Oaks ' 



or a difference of opinion. The following anecdote 
shows the temper of the men of that period. In a 
conversation among several gentlemen, one ven- 
tured the opinion that the Mississippi was a small 
stream compared with the rivers of Europe. A 
Creole instantly declared that he could not hear the 
Mississippi thus spoken of, and a challenge was given 
and accepted then and there. He who had held the 



LOUISIANA CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS 353 

old river in such light esteem received a sword 
thrust which left an ugly gash from cheek to cheek. 

Between the years 1834 and 1844, scarcely a day 
passed without duels being fought at The Oaks. 
On one particular Sunday in 1838, ten duels were 
fought. The Oaks, more than a hundred years old, 
are still standing. If they could speak, their moss- 
covered branches would tell us sorrowful stories of 
a custom now happily passed away. 

The last day before Lent always falls on a Tues- 
day, — Mardi Gras, — which means "fat Tuesday." 
It was so called because it was the last day on which 
one might feast and dance before the opening of the 
Lenten season. The custom of masking on Mardi 
Gras was brought from France by the early settlers. 
During the period when Louisiana was a French, 
and later a Spanish, province, the maskers went 
from house to house, but there was no regular street 
parade until after the Americans came into the 
State. The Americans thought Mardi Gras might 
become a business enterprise, and be made so attrac- 
tive as to draw visitors to New Orleans. There is 
now a fixed programme. Rex, the King of the Carni- 
val, who is some wealthy citizen, comes up the river 
on Monday, and is royally welcomed. Early Tues- 
day morning the merry children, noisy with tinkling 
bells and dressed in masks and gay dominoes, come 
out of their houses and visit from door to door in 
their neighborhood. Later in the day there is a 



354 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

street parade, and another one at night. The night 
parade is so beautiful as to make one think only of 
fairyland. The Mardi Gras gayeties end with the 
most brilliant ball of the season. 

The day before Easter hints are dropped that the 
rabbits will be about that night. The sleepy children 
stay awake as long as possible watching for them. 
The rabbits are never seen; but, after long search- 
ing, their nests are found hidden snugly under 
hedges, in the grass, behind curtains, and under beds. 
There are red, black, purple, blue, green, and yellow 
eggs; eggs striped and dotted, and of every hue. 

When the nests are found, the children living near 
together begin the contest of egg fighting. All 
seem to be screaming two magic words, " points or 
butts," and an outsider would see nothing but con- 
fusion. But this small board of trade knows exactly 
what it is doing. There are rules regulating how 
the egg shall be held, which end shall be used, who 
shall give the first stroke, how it shall be struck, and 
the kind of egg to be used. Any one so unfair as to 
fight with a guinea's egg against a hen's egg would 
be looked upon as a cheater. According to the 
code of honor among the children, no one would 
again fight with such an unfair player. The one 
breaking an egg takes it, and a boy or girl some- 
times wins several dozen eggs. 

At one time there was a horrible superstition 
among the negroes which was called the religion of 



LOUISIANA CUSTOMS AND SUPERSTITIONS 355 

the VoudoLis. The Voudous always met secretly 
at night in some desolate place. The leading actors 
in their meetings were a king, a queen, and a serpent. 
The prayers sent up from the Voudous' altar were 
always for love or for revenge. At the opening of 




Mardi Gras on Canal Street, New Orleans 

the meeting the king passed his hands over the 
quivering body of the serpent ; then passed the move- 
ment on to the queen, and she in turn gave it to the 
followers of the Voudou. All then began swaying 
their bodies in time with the low chanting: of a song:. 
The queen always led the singing, which became 
shriller and louder, the movements became ever 
swifter and swifter, until at last the Voudous were 
screaming, jumping up and down, tearing their 
clothing, and even biting their own flesh in their 



356 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

frenzy. At last they would fall to the ground and 
lie exhausted in the dim light of the dawning day. 

When the Voudous wished to conjure any one, it 
was the queen who gave the charm. Sometimes it 
was a little cotton bag containing the hair of a dog 
or cat, cut into fine pieces and mixed with salt and 
pepper; sometimes it was an acorn with two holes 
cut in it and a feather run through the holes ; or 
again it might be feathers glued together to form 
queer shapes. These charms were placed at the 
door or in the pillows of those whom they wished to 
conjure. There are no more Voudou queens, but 
some negroes and ignorant white people still believe 
in Voudouism. 

The most beautiful of Louisiana's customs is the 
carrying of flowers to the cemeteries on All Saints' 
Day. For a week before, the shop windows display 
crowns and crosses made of white, black, and purple 
tissue paper, of white and black beads, and of 
immortelles. Most people, however, prefer fresh 
flowers. All Saints' Day used to be called le jotir 
des morts, — the day of the dead, — and the living in 
Louisiana truly make it so. 

Questions. — i. Why is our present attitude toward dueling 
much better than the old way? 

2. Give an account of how you celebrate Mardi Gras. Imagine 
that you are describing it to a friend in the North or the West. 

3. • Tell about any other Easter customs of which you know. 



CHAPTER LX 



CONCLUSION 



Let us look backward. You remember that in 
the years between 1699 — when the French came to 
the Mississippi — and 1803, the date of the pur- 
chase, three nations were playing battledore and 
shuttlecock with Louisiana ; that France first threw 
her to Spain, Spain back to France, and France to 
the United States. What was the reason for this.f* 

Why was it that the English colonies, beginning 
with a few wanderers from their native land, steadily 
grew in strength until they became a great people — 
so great a people that in 1763 they were able to aid 
their mother country in wresting from France most 
of the territory she had claimed ^ And later, as you 
have learned, this same great people declared them- 
selves an independent nation, no longer English- 
Americans, but Americans. Why, during their 
period of rapid growth, were the French-Americans 
restlessly passing from one power to another ? 

This question bears upon Louisiana history, for 
the Louisianians are no longer necessarily of French 
and Spanish blood. The people of the United 
States have mingled until, to a great extent, they 

357 



358 HISTORY OF LOUISIANA 

are one. A large part of the population of the 
State is partly of English descent, and some entirely 
so. The most important teaching of Louisiana 
history has not been learned if you do not know 
that the difference in the progress of the two colo- 
nies was owing to their form of government. 

When our English ancestors came to America, it 
was with the fixed determination that this country 
was to be their home — a New Enorland. After 
building their homes, they put up a church, a school- 
house, and a court-house. This meant that in their 
new home they still sought the God of their fathers; 
and that they had resolved to educate their children 
and to establish a government after their own hearts. 
As has been said, the government of the two groups 
of colonies fixed their destinies. 

Do you not remember that the motive of the 
French in coming to America was to trade ? The 
hope of many French emigrants was to make all the 
money possible in Louisiana, and then to return to 
France. Recall the plans of the great French ex- 
plorer. La Salle, whose ambition was to establish 
trading posts around the Great Lakes and from the 
mouth of the Mississippi to Canada. When the 
French government took up the matter of settling 
Louisiana, the aim of Pontchartrain was to deal in 
furs, explore for mines, and dive into the waters of 
the gulf for pearls. In the grants of Crozat's 
charter, you cannot recall any plans for building 



CONCLUSION 359 

homes for people and giving them a share in the gov- 
ernment. His aim was only to work Louisiana like 
a farm — always to drain the farm, and never to en- 
rich it so as to make it yield. You cannot have 
forgotten the scheme of the famous John Law to 
make millions out of Louisiana ; nor that in claim- 
ing the Ohio Valley the desire of the French was to 
trade. 

Who came next ? Spain, with her ruinous trade 
laws, grasping all for herself, and leaving the colo- 
nists to get along as best they could. 

The European kings who governed Louisiana 
set aside the rights of the people to satisfy their 
own greed. In glancing over the list of Louisiana's 
governors, you find many names with grand titles. 
But it was under the governorship of the siniple 
men from the ranks of the people that the Louisi- 
anians enjoyed the liberty to worship God as they 
chose, and the right to govern themselves. You 
have noted the prosperity of your State from the 
time she entered the Union until the opening of the 
Civil War; and how, under the control of the car- 
pet-baggers, she was brought to poverty and almost 
ruin. 

You must have learned the important lesson that 
the welfare of a country does not depend upon rich 
soil, delightful climate, and good harbors, but upon 
good government. The people must be free to 
make their own laws, and must make good ones. 



36o 



HISTORY OP^ LOUISIANA 



When a few more years have passed, the children 
now in the pubHc schools will be the lawmakers of 
the State. The future of Louisiana is in your keep- 
ing. Love her for the trials she has undergone ; love 
her for what she may yet become. When you cease 
to be children, when you have put aside childish 
things, as men and women, see to it that you enter 
your new duties with earnestness of purpose and 
with clean hands and pure hearts. 




.^^'" '^ 












I-?' 






Central High School, Shrevepokt, La 



APPENDIX 



GOVERNORS OF LOUISIANA UNDER FRENCH RULE 

Pierre le Moyne, Marquis d'Iberville 
Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville 
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac 
De I'Epinay (Christian name unrecorded) 
Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville 
Pierre Dugue de Boisbriant (ad interim) 
Perier (Christian name unrecorded) 
Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville 
Pierre Francois, Marquis de Vaudreuil-Cavagnal 
Louis Billouart, Baron de Kerlerec . 
D'Abadie (Christian name unrecorded) . 
Aubry ........ 



. 1699- 


1700 


I70I- 


I7I3 


• I7I3- 


I7I6 


• I7I7- 


I7I8 


. I7I8- 


1724 




1724 


• 1725- 


1732 


• 1733- 


1743 


• 1743- 


1752 


• 1753- 


1763 


• 1763- 


1765 


• 1765- 


1766 



GOVERNORS OF LOUISIANA UNDER SPANISH RULE 



Antonio de Ulloa ..... 

Alexander, Count O'Reilly 

Luis de Unzaga y Amerzaga . 

Bernardo de Galvez y Gallardo 

Estevan Rodriquez Miro 

Francisco Luis Hortes, Baron de Carondelet 

Gayosa de Lemos ..... 

P>ancisco de Bouligny . . ' . 

Sebastian, Marquis de Casa Calvo y O'Farril 

Juan Manuel de Salcedo 



I 766 
1768- 
1769- 
1777- 

1785- 
1792- 
1797- 

1799 
1801- 



-1768 
-1769 
-1776 

-1785 
-1791 
-1797 
-1799 
1799 
-1801 
-1803 



GOVERNOR OF THE TERRITORY OF ORLEANS 

William Charles Cole Claiborne .... 1 804-1 81 2 

.^,61 



362 



APPENDIX 



GOVERNORS OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA 

William Charles Cole Claiborne . . . .1812- 

Jacques P. Viller^ . . . . . . .1816- 

Thomas Boiling Robertson (resigned) . . . 1820- 
H. S. Thibodeaux, President of the Senate (Acting 
Governor) ....... 

Henry Johnson ....... 1824- 

Pierre Derbigny (died in office) .... 1828- 

A. Beauvais, President of the Senate (Acting Gov- 
ernor) 1829- 

Jacques Dupr6 ....... 

Andr^ Bienvenu Roman . . . . . .1831- 

Edward Douglas White ...... 1835- 

Andr^ Bienvenu Roman ...... 1839- 

Alexander Mouton ....... 1843- 

Isaac Johnson ....... 1846- 

Joseph M. Walker 1850- 

Paul Octave Hebert 1853- 

Robert Charles Wickliffe . . . . .1856- 

Thomas Overton Moore ..... 1860- 

General George F. Shepley (Military Governor) . 1862- 
Henry Watkins Allen (under Confederate govern- "i 

ment) . . . . . . . . 1864- 

Michael Hahn (under Federal government) . . J 
James Madison Wells, President of the Senate (Acting 

Governor) ....... 1864- 

James Madison Wells ...... 1866- 

Benjamin F. Flanders (under military authority) . 1867- 

Joshua Baker (under military authority) . 

Henry Clay Warmoth ...... 1 868-1 

John McEnery (counted out by the Returning Board) 
Peter B. S. Pinchback, Lieutenant Governor (Acting 
Governor) ........ 

William Pitt Kellogg, Governor de facto . . . 1873- 



APPENDIX 



2>(>Z 



Francis T. Nicholls 

Louis Alfred VViltz (died in office) 

S. Douglas McEnery, Lieutenant 

ceeded Wiltz as Governor) 
S. Douglas McEnery 
Francis T. Nicholls 
Murphy J. Foster . 
William Wright Heard . 
Newton Grain Blanchard 
Jared Y. Sanders 



Governor (sue 



1877- 


t88o 


1880- 


-1881 


I88I- 


-1884 


1884- 


-1888 


1888- 


-1892 


1892- 


-1900 


1900- 


-1904 


1904- 


-1908 


1908- 


-/<^/y. 



INDEX 



Abadie, Governor d', 123, 125, 133, 140. 

Acadia, Exiles from, 126-132. 

Adams, John, ig6. 

Alabama, 7, 103, 297. See Mobile. 

All Saints' Day, 356. 

Allen, Henry W., 311-314. 

Amendments, Thirteenth and Four- 
teenth, 324. 

Americans in Louisiana, 123-125, 158, 
163, 168, 172-177, 181, 195, 271, 

353- 
Arkansas, 

River, 14, 75. 

State of, 7, 299. 
Arkansas (gunboat), 305, 306. 
Artaguette, Chevalier d', 103-105. 

Diron d', 55, 56, 103, 105. 
Aubry, 133, 135, 136, 138, 141-153- 
Audubon, J. J., 285-290. 
Audubon Society, 290. 
Avery, Judge, 306, 307. 

Balize, The, 138, 145, 169, 194. 
Banks, General N. P., 303, 306-308, 

310. 
Baratarians, 250-255, 257, 266. 
Baton Rouge, viii, 279, 312. 

Americans at, 239, 242, 243. 

English at, 123, 158, 164, 167-169. 

in Civil War, 296, 304-306. 

Naming of, 36. 

Spaniards at, 169, 231, 232, 239. 
Battle of the twenty-third, 264. 
Bay St. Louis, 62, 79. 
Bayou Sara, 239, 240, 242, 288, 305. 
Bayougoula Indians, 35, 39, 40. 
Beaujeau, 22-25. 
Beauregard, General, 298, 299. 
Berwick Bay, 307. 
Bienvenu, Bayou, 258, 260. 
Bienville, 115, 121, 124, 134, 151, 274, 
337- 



Bienville (Continued) 

E.xplorations, 31, 32, 37, 39, 41, 42, 

44-51- 

First period as governor, 51-57, 6r, 62. 

Second period as governor, 76-81, 
84-91- 

Third period as governor, 102-109. 

In Natchez wars, 68-70, 103-107. 
Bilo.xi, 38, 39, 46, 49, 79, 8r. 
Black Code, 86. 
Boll weevil, 185, 341. 
Bore, Etienne de, 185, 186, 194, 208, 

209, 221, 222. 
Borgne, Lake, 258-261. 
Bras Pique, 95, 96. 
Breckenridge, Senator, 213. 
Breckinridge, General J. C, 304, 305. 
Buena Vista, Battle of, 282, 283. 
Burr, Aaron, 233-238. 
Bute, Fort, 124. 
Butler, General, 300, 302, 303, 310, 311. 

Cabildo, 155-157, 209, 210. 
Cadillac, Governor, 61, 62, 68, 70. 
Calumet, 13, 68, 69. 
Canada, 

Canadians in Louisiana, 30, 38, 47, 
48, 89, 106, 124. 

England's ownership of, 118, 122. 

Exiles from, 126-132. 

French in, 10, ri, 14-18, 60. 

War in, 114-119. 
Caresse, Pierre, 151. 
Carolina (gunboat), 263, 265. 
Carondelet, Baron de, 179-184, 188- 

194, 231. 
Carpet-baggers, 326, 327, 329-331, 333, 

336, 337, 359- 
Carroll, Major General, 257. 
Carter, G. W., 334. 
Casa Calvo, 196, 208, 230, 231. 
Casket girls, 92. 



365 



366 



INDEX 



Cat Island, 31. 

Catahoula Parish, loi. 

Cecil, Father, 274. 

Census of New Orleans, 136, 154, 219. 

Cession of Louisiana Province, 

To Spain, 123, 125, 133-141, 146. 

To France, 198, 208. 

To the United States, 204, 209-213. 
Chaise, M. de la, 88. 
Charlotte, Fort, 124. 
Chateauguay, Lemoyne de, 86. 
Chepart, 93-97, 103. 
Chiavari, 345. 

Chickasaw Indians, 44, 50, 94, 101-107. 
Choctaw Indians, 50, 98-100. 
Choiseul, Due de, 134. 
Civil War, 291-309. 

Claiborne, W. C. C, 209-211, 214-217, 
224-228, 231, 236, 237, 242, 246- 
248, 252-254, 257, 260, 269, 271. 
Clark, Daniel, 209. 

Clothing, in Civil War, 313, 317, 319. 
Cochrane, Admiral, 259. 
Coffee, General, 257. 
Collot, General, 194. 
Committee of Public Safety, 191-194. 
Company of the West. See Mississippi 

Company. 
Conde, Fort, 124. 
Confederate States, 297-309. 
Congress of the United States, 195, 269. 

admits State of Louisiana, 224, 244- 
246. 

In Civil War and Reconstruction, 292, 

295. 3". 323. 325. 336- 
Navigation of the Mississippi, 175, 

200. 
Organization of Louisiana, 213, 214, 

225, 226, 228. 
Purchase of Louisiana, 212, 213, 218. 
Connor, Commodore, 283, 284. 
Constitution of the United States, 176, 

213, 292, 294, 296, 324. 
Corn husking, 345. 
Cornwallis, General, 170, 171. " 
Cotton, 

Cotton gin, 293, 294. 
Exporting, in, 219, 313, 349. 
Manufacturing, 313, 343. 
Raising, 17, 44, 185, 272, 293, 313, 
315. 318. 319- 



Council, 

Inferior, 78, 79. 
Legislative, 214, 225, 227, 237. 
Superior, 78, 113, 135, 137, 140-142, 
155- 
Courts in Louisiana, 150, 155, 156, 214, 

216, 217, 242, 311, 323, 325. 
Creoles, 139, 146, 149, 156, 159, 168, 
181, 206, 209, 215, 218, 220, 228, 
236, 245, 247, 261, 265, 269, 271, 
306, 346, 351, 352. 
Creve Coeur, Fort, 20. 
Crozat, 58-65, 67, 70, 73, 78, 122, 

358-. 
Customs in Louisiana, 344-356. 

Dauphin Island, 49, 6r, 76, 84. 
Davis, Jefferson, 296, 297. 
Defiance (war vessel), 299. 
Destrehan, Joel, 246. 
Dimitry, Alexander, 275. 
Donaldsonville, 308. 
Doucet, 139. 
Dueling, 351-353. 
Dunn, Oscar J., 326. 

Eads, James B., 338. 
Easter customs, 354. 
Education in Louisiana, 84, 90, 107, 219, 
220, 244, 274-276, 322, 22,3, 342, 
360. 
Elections, in 1812, 246; in 1864, 311, 

323; in 1873,334; in 1876, 336. 
Ellicott, Andrew, 190-192. 
England, 
and the United States, 166, 171, 246- 

248, 253-269. 
Colonies in America, i,\, x, 115-117, 

160-164, 171. 357. 358- 
in Canada, 118, 122. 
in Mississippi Valley, 17, 29, 41, 42, 

44, 118, 123, 124, 198, 246, 269. 
Relations with Indians, 41, 44, 50, 52, 

105, 106, 120. 
Trade with, 63, 124, 157, 158. 
War with France, x, 29, 51, 52, 114- 
119, 163, 166, 171, 198, 199, 201, 203. 
War with Spain, 166-171, 187, 188. 
English Turn, The, 42, 261. 
Epinay, Governor de 1', 70. 
Evangeline, 131, 132. 



INDEX 



367 



Exports, 

from Kentucky, 172, 173, 176. 
from Louisiana, in, 156-158, 219. 

Farming in Louisiana, 48, 84, 85, 92, 

III, 112, 222, 341-343. 
Farragut, Commodore, 300-302. ' 
Flatboats, 173-175. 181, 193, 195. 
Florida, 

Cession of, to the United States, 199, 

201. 
Discovery of, 2, 3, 4. 
East and West, 189, 229-233, 239-243. 
England's ownership of, 119, 122, 

124, 164, 165. 
Indians in, 278. 
Spaniards in, ix, 30, 31, 48, 63, 166, 

169-17 1. 
State of, 229. 
Florida Parishes, 189, 239-243. 
Food supplies, in Civil War, 313, 315, 

316. 
France, 

in Canada, x, 10, 11, 14-18, 60, 115- 

118, 122, 199. 

in Louisiana, 20-125, 163, 182, 183, 

193. 197-211. 358- 
in Mississippi Valley, 13, 16, 17, 20, 

21. 
War with England, x, 29, 51, 52, 114- 

119, 163, 166, 171, 198, 199, 201, 
203. 

War with Spain, 187, 188. 
Freedman's Bureau, 324. 
French and Indian War, 115-119, 160, 

161, 199. 
Frontenac, Count, 10, 11, 16, 

Gallatin, Albert, 289. 

Galvez, Governor, 159, 162-171. 

Gander pulling, 351. 

Gayarre, Charles, 220. 

Gayoso de Lemos, 190-196, 205. 

Georgia, 7, 272, 293, 344. 

Germans in Louisiana, 75, 84, 85. 

Gibbs, General, 266. 

Grande Isle, 250. 

Grande Terre, 250, 252. 

Grandpre, Colonel, 294. 

Grant, U. S., 334, 33(>- 

Great Britain. See England. 



Great Lakes, The, 10, 16, 18, 25, 60, 

IIS. 116, 358- 
Guion, Captain, 194, 195. 

Hachard, Madeleine, 90. 
Hahn, Michael, 311. 
Havana, 54, 119, 142. 
Hinds, Major, 257. 
Houmas Indians, 35, 36. 
House of Representatives of Louisiana, 
225, 226. See Legislature. 

Iberville, 30-51, 54, 55. 87, 115. i24- 
Illinois country, 89, 103, 123. 
India, Trade with, 10, 16. 
Indians, 

Customs of, I, 13, 36, 37, 45, 46, 94. 

in battle of New Orleans, 266. 

Marriage with, 89. 

Relations with Europeans, 2, 4-7, 10- 
14, 18, 20, 26, 27, 31-33, 35-47. 50. 
52.53. 56,57.77- 

Trade with, 11, 15, 16, 18, 52, 63. 

Tribes of, 11, 20, 35, 44, 45, 50, 94. 

War with, 53, 68-70, 93-107, 120, 
248, 256, 277. 
Indigo, 84, 92, 156, 157, 185, 317. 

Jackson, Andrew, 248, 255-270, 292. 

Jackson, Fort, 299-301. 

Jackson Square, New Orleans, 146, 

347. See Place d'Armes. 
Jefferson, Thomas, 209, 212, 214, 218, 

225, 230, 236. 
Jesuits, 15, 91, III. 
Jetties of the Mississippi, 338, 339. 
Johnson, Andrew, 323. 
Governor Isaac, 280. 
Joliet, Louis, x, 10-15. 
Jones, Lieutenant T. A. C, 258, 259. 
Joutel, 26-28. 

Kellogg, W. P., 334-336- 

Kemper brothers, 232. 

Kentucky, 172-177, 183, 189, 197, 213, 

< 233, 257, 265, 266, 272, 277. 

Kerlerec, Governor, 114, 120, 121, 123. 

Ku KIux Klan, 327-333. 

Lafitte, Jean and Pierre, 249-255, 257. 
Lafourche Parish, 306. 



368 



INDEX 



Lafreniere, 133, 139, 140, 144, 145, 

148-152, 156. 
Lagniappe, 346, 348. 
La Harpe, 85, 87. 

La Salle, 14-28, 34, 37, 38, 50, 115, 358. 
Laussat, 205-210. 
Law, John, 71-75, 82-84, 359- 
Lawrence, Sir Thomas, 289. 
League of the White Camellia, 329. 
Lee, General R. E., 309. 
Legislature of Louisiana, 214, 225, 252, 

260, 269. 274, 281, 314, S33- 
Leprosy in Louisiana, 177. 
Lesassier, 142. 
Le Sueur, 98, 99. 
Levees, 92, iii, 112, 155, 272, 273, 337- 

340. 
Lincoln, Abraham, 310, 323. 
Livingston, Robert R., 199-204, 212. 
Log-rolling, 344. 
Louis XIV, 16, 17, 21, 29, 58, 59, 71, 

72. 
Louis XV, 71, 102, 109, 134, 140-142, 

274. 
Louisiana (gunboat), 265. 
Louisiana, District of, 213. 
Louisiana, Province of. 

Boundaries of, 59, 115, 202, 218. 
Capital of, 80, 81, 85. 
Cession to France, 198, 208. 
Cession to Spain, 123, 125, 133-141, 

146. 
Cession to the United States, 204, 

209-213. 
Discovery of, 2, 7, 20. 
Early settlements in, 22-28, 30-32, 

38, 42, 44, 48, 49- 
Government of, 78, 79, 85, 88, 112, 

155. 174. 
Life in, 26, 48, 54, 84, 89-92, 109, 

139, 216, 218-223, 344, 345- 
Naming of, 21. 

Population of, 114, 154, 162, 219. 
Louisiana, State of, 213, 243, 245-343. 
Admission to Union, 224-226, 245, 

246. w 

Growth of, 271, 272. 
in Civil War, 298-309. 
in Mexican War, 280, 281. 
Life in, during Civil War, 311, 313, 

315-322- 



Louisiana, State of (Continued) 

Reconstruction period, 310-314, 321- 

33(>- 
Secession of, 295-297. 
Lovell, General, 299, 300. 

Madison, James, 241. 

Magruder, Allen B., 246. 

Manchac, 119, 124, 125, 158, 164, 167- 

169. 
Manitou, Indian, 13. 
Mansfield, Battle at, 308. 
Marbois, 203. 
Mardi Gras, 353, 355. 
Marquette, Father, x, 10-14. 
Marquis, Pierre, 151. 
Matagorda Bay, 50, 85. 
Maurepas, Count de, 29, 30. 
Maurepas, Lake, 37. 
McEnery, John, 334. 
Medicine, in Civil War, 307, 313, 319. 
Metropolitans, The, 335. 
Mexico, City of, 281, 314. 

Gulf of, 14, 24, 33, 34, 43, 48, 52, 116, 
122, 169, 196. 

Spaniards in, 8, 63, 65-67, 143, 167, 
169, 198, 235-238. 

Trade with, 63, 65, 137. 

War with, 279-282. 
Milhet, Jean, 133-135, 139, 142, 146, 

149-152. 
Military government, 260, 269, 310, 

325- 
Milneburg, 272. 
Miro, Governor, 174-178, 194. 
Mississippi Bubble, The, 82. 
Mississippi Company, 73-82, 88-92, 

102, 114, 122. 
Mississippi River, x. 

Boundary of the United States, 171, 

269. 
Discovery and exploration of, 2, 7, 

9-17, 20, 21, 25, 28, 32-37. 
in Civil War, 298, 301, 304, 308. 
Jetties, 337-339- 
Overflow of, 112, 195, 272, 337- 

340. 
Right of navigation on, 119, 166, 
171-178, 1S7-189, 200. 
Mississippi, State of, 7, 31, 103, 272, 
312. 



INDEX 



369 



Mississippi Territory, 195, 209, 225, 

232, 239, 257, 266. 
Mobile, 13, 49, 56, 79, 80, 116, 164, 

169, 229, 231. 
Money, Confederate, 319. 

in Louisiana, 113. 
Mongouiacha Indians, 35, 37. 
Monroe, James, 203, 204, 212, 229, 230. 

Mayor, 302. 
Montcalm, General, 117. 
Monterey, Battle of, 281. 
Montgomery, Alabama, 297. 
Moore, Governor T. O., 297, 306. 
Morgan, Colonel, 164, 165. 
Mouton, Governor Alexander, 306. 
Mumford, W. B., 302. 

Napoleon, 197-208. 

Natchez, 123, 158, 164, 167, 169, 187- 

195. 238. 304- 
Natchez Indians, 44, 45, 67-70, 86, 93- 

106. 
Natchitoches, 47, 85, 220, 229, 306, 307. 
Negroes, 

after Civil War, 311, 315, 322, 324, 

326-330. 
as soldiers, 168, 257, 266, 302. 
Freedom of, 208, 311, 324. 
Importation of, 63, 73, 215, 222, 292, 

294. 
in the government, 326, ;^;^^, 334. 
on plantations, 84, 92, 208, 311, 315, 

324- 
Regulations for, 86, 312. 
Right to vote, 324, 325. 
Slavery of, 222, 223, 292-295. 
Uprisings of, 98, 184. 
New Orleans, 108, 116, 194. 

Battle of September 14, 1874, 335. 
Commerce of, in, 137, 156-158, 173, 

176,202,219,337,338. 5ce Trade. 
Founding of, 77, 78. 
Growth of, 84, 90-92, III, 124, 158. 
History of, 133, 136; 139, 145-158, 

163-164, 166-169, i7S> 177. 179- 

183, 188-190, 195, 196, 228, 230, 

234-238, 273, 274. 
in Civil War, 299-304, 307, 308. 
in War of 1812, 246-248, 254-269. 
Lifein, 85, 91, 109, 139, 216, 219, 220, 

222, 249, 252, 352, 353. 



New Orleans (Continued) 

made capital, 80, 81, 85. 

Population of, 154, 219. 

Transfer to United States, 199-2 11. 

Views of, 80, 90, 136, 157, 180, 210, 
223, 273, 275, 342, 347, 349. 
Newspaper, First, 180. 
Nicholls, General, 248, 253. 

Governor F. T., 336. 
Noailles, Sieur de, 106, 107. 
Nova Scotia, 126, 127. 
Noyan, 87, 104, 151. 

Oaks, The, 352, 353. 

Ohio Valley, Claims to the, 116, 359. 

Opelousas, 306. 

O'Reilly, General, 143-156, 207. 

Orleans, Duke of, 71-73, 78. 

Orleans, Island of, 119, 158, 199. 

Orleans, Territory of, 213-217, 224-226, 

244-246, 274. 
Ouachita River, 238. 

Packard, S. B., 334, 336. 

Pakenham, General, 265, 268. 

Panama Canal, 202. 

Pauger, 81, 85. 

Pensacola, 48, 164, 165, 169-171, 231, 

248. 
Perdido River, 189, 229. 
Perier, Governor, 88-92, 97, 100-102, 

121. 
Petit Anse, 306, 307. 
Pinckney, Thomas, 229. 
Pioneer life, ^ 

in Kentucky, 172, 176, 277. 

in Louisiana, 26, 48, 54, 84, 89-92, 

344, 345- 
Pirates on Gulf coast, 247, 250-255. 
Pitt, Fort, 163, 164. 
Pitt, William, 117. 
Place d'Armes, New Orleans, 146, 168, 

209, 210. 
Pleasant Hill, Battle at, 308. 
Pointe Coupee, 84, 184, 232, 244. 
Pollock, Oliver, 163. 
Pontalba, 197. 
Pontchartrain, Count, 29, 30, 42, 43, 

55, 57. 59, 62, 358. 
Countess, 70. 
Pontchartrain, Lake, 37, 41. 



370 



INDEX 



Port Hudson, 304, 307, 308. 
Porter, Commodore, 300. 
Powers, Thomas, 183, 189. 
Poydras, Julian, 244, 245. 

Quarantine, 340. 
Quebec, x, 14, 117. 
Quilting bees, 344, 345. 
Quincy, Josiah, 245, 291. 

Railroads, 173, 272. 
Reconstruction Act, 326. 
Reconstruction period, 3 10-3 14, 32 1-336. 
Red River, Exploration of, 46, 47. 
Resolute (war vessel), 299. 
Revolution, 

American, 160-166, 171, 187. 

French, 178, 181. 

of 1768, 139-153. 

of 1874, 333-336- 
Rio Grande River, 280, 313. 
Robertson, T. B., 246. 
Roman, Governor A. B., 275. 
Ro>alie, Fort, 70, 93-99. 

St. Charles, Fort, 263. 
St. Denis, 65-67, 220. 
St. Francisville, 240. 
St. Gabriel, Acadia, 127-129. 
St. Philip, Fort, 299-301. 
Salcedo, Governor, 205, 208. 
Salt mines, 306, 307, 343. 
San Domingo, 103, iii, 208. 
Santa Anna, 282. 
Sauvole, 39, 40, 48. 
Schools. .See Education. 
Scott, General, 281. 
Seal of Louisiana, 247. 
Secession, 

in Kentucky, 175-177, 183, 189. 

of Southern States, 295-297. 

Rights of, 246, 291, 292, 295, 310, 321, 

323- 

Senate of Louisiana, 225, 226. ^ee Leg- 
islature. 

Sheridan, General, 325, 326. 

Ship Island, 31, 37, 302. 

Shreveport, 311, 313, 360. 

Skip, Fulwar, 240. 

Slave and free States, 294. 

Slaves. See Negroes. 



Smith, General Kirby, 307, 308. 
Smuggling, 163, 250. 
Soto, Hernando de, 2-9,. 28, 44. 
South Carolina, 292, 295, 298. 
Spain, E.xplorers from, ix, 1-8. 

in Florida, 2, 31, 48, 63, 119, 122, 166, 
169-171, 229-232, 239. 
■ in French and Indian War, 11 7-1 19. 

in Louisiana, 29, 123-125, 133-208, 
228, 247, 359. 

in Mexico, 8, 63, 65-67, 143. 

Treaties vi'ith, 119, 123, 163, 171-173, 
187, 188, 190, 193. 

War with England, 166-171, 187, 188. 

War with France, 187, 188. 
Starvation parties, 322. 
Stevens, Thaddeus, 323, 325. 
Sugar, 

E.xporting, iii, 219, 313. 

Manufacturing, 184-186, 222, 316, 

343- 
Raising, 44, 185, 208, 221, 272, 293. 
Sumner, Charles, 323, 325. 
Sumter, Fort, 298. 

Sun, The Great, 45, 69, 93-97, 101, 103. 
Sunday, Observance of, 348, 349. 
Swiss in Louisiana, 75, 120. 

Talleyrand, 199-202, 230. 

Tampa Bay, 4. 

Taxes, 92, 155, 173, 180, 250, 292, 295, 

324- 
Taylor, General Richard, 306-308. 
Hancock, 277, 278. 
Zachary, 277-284, 306. 
Teche, Bayou, 131, 132, 308. 
Tennessee, 172, 257, 266, 327, 344. 
Tensa Indians, 45. 
Test Oath, 326. 
Texas, 24-28, 50, 85, 143, 235-238, 279, 

280, 299, 325. 
Thomas, Philemon, 239. 
Tobacco, 84, 92, 111, 156, 157, 219, 272, 

293. 
Tonti, Chevalier de, 20, 37, 38, 44, 50, 

54- 
Tournaments, 350. 
Trade, 

Regulation of, 59, 60, 63, 88, 113, 125, 

136, 156, 162, 174, i8o, 188, 195, 

196. 



INDEX 



371 



Trade {Continued) 

Smuggling, 163, 250-252. 

with Indians, 11, 15, 16, 18, 52, 63. 

with Mexico, 63, 65, 85, 137. 

with the Americans, 63, 124, 157, 
173-176, 178, 180, 181, 195, iq6. 

with the West Indies, 52, 137, 163. 

See New Orleans, Commerce. 
Treaty, 

of cession to Spain, 123. 

of 1763, 118, 123, 125. 

of 1783, 171-173, 187, 193. 

of 1795, 188, 190, 193. 

of 1800, igS, 199. 

of 1803, 204, 212, 213. 

with Indians, 69, 70, 93, 120. 
Truck farming, 341. 

UUoa, Antonio de, 135-143, 146, i-ig, 

ISO- 
United States, History of the, 115, 144, 

278, 281. 
Revolutionary War, 161-166, 171, 291. 
National government, 175-177, 233, 

291, 292. 
Relations with Louisiana Province, 

173-178, 187-192, 195, 196. 
Purchase of Louisiana, 199-205, 208- 

213. 
Territory of Orleans, 213-217, 224- 

226, 234-238, 246. 
West Florida, 229-233. 
War of 1812, 246-248, 253-269. 
Mexican War, 279-282. 
Civil War, 291-309. 
Reconstruction of South, 310-314, 

323-326, 32,3-3,36. 
Unzaga, Governor, 156-159, 162, 163. 
Ursuline nuns, 90-92, 274. 



Vaudreuil, Marquis de, 109-115, 117, 

148. 
Vermilionville, 306. 
Vicksburg, 304, 305, 308. 
Villere, Joseph, 149, 150, 152. 

Major, 262, 263. 

Major General, 260, 262. 
Voudouism, 355, 356. 

Waller, Sir Walter, 289. 

War of 1812, 246-248, 253-269. 

Warmoth, Governor H. C, 326, 333, 

334- 
Warrior (war vessel), 299. 
Washington, George, 171, 177. 
West Baton Rouge Parish, 244, 312. 
West Indies, 

Indian slaves in, loi, 103. 

Settlement of, ix, i, 2. 

Settlers from, in, 224. 

Trade with, 52, 137, 163. 
Westerners of the United States, 172- 
176, 179, iSr, 196, 200, 212, 215, 
216, 233, 237. 
White Apple Village, 93-96, 99. 
White League, The, 334. 
Whitney, Eli, 293, 294. 
Wilkinson, General, 176, 209, 210, 216, 

236, 237. 
Williams, General Thomas, 304. 
Willing, Captain, 164, 165. 
Wolfe, General, 117. 
Women, 

in Civil War, 315-321. 

in the colonies, 26, 27, 54, 89-92, 112. 

Yazoo Indians, 94. 

Yellow fever, 54, 195, 272-274, 337, 340. 

Yorktown, Surrender at, 170, 171. 



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